54 Japanese lawmakers visit Yasukuni Shrine

TOKYO, Oct. 20 -- Fifty-four Japanese lawmakers from different political parties on Tuesday visited Tokyo's war-related Yasukuni Shrine during its annual autumn festival.

Among the visitors were the opposition Liberal Democratic Party members, including lower house vice speaker Seishiro Eto, Ryotaro Tanose, chairman of LDP's General Council, former Secretary General Makoto Koga, as well as former economy minister Takeo Hiranuma and New Party Daichi leader Muneo Suzuki.

LDP President also paid a visit to the Shrine on Monday.

The shrine, which honors some 2.5 million Japanese war dead including 14 leading war criminals, is seen as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.

No members of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's cabinet took part in the multiparty group to visit the Shrine as the premier has pledged that he will not visit the war-related shrine and demand cabinet ministers show self-discipline concerning the issue.

In the past few years, Japanese leaders, including former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, regardless of the strong opposition of the public both domestically and abroad, persisted in visiting the Yasukuni Shrine. The move has greatly hurt the feeling of Japan's Asian neighbors.