Abe sends offering to war-linked Yasukuni Shrine, visit unlikely

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent Friday a ritual offering to Tokyo's controversial war-linked Yasukuni Shrine for its annual spring festival, but is expected to forgo a visit in person.Abe has not visited the Shinto shrine since December 2013 -- a year after he became prime minister for the second time -- instead making the same "masakaki" offerings for spring and autumn festivals.But members of a cross-party group of lawmakers including some Cabinet ministers have made regular visits, and are expected to go to the shrine at some point during the festival that ends Sunday.The shrine …READ FULL ARTICLE