"So-called Class-A war criminals should not have been enshrined at Yasukuni, which honors the war dead," Ozawa said on an NHK TV program. "If Yasukuni was what it should have been in the first place -- a site honoring the war dead -- the Emperor and Mr. Koizumi would be able to offer prayers there."

The war criminals, who Ozawa said were responsible for leading Japan to war, were enshrined at Yasukuni in 1978.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has repeatedly visited the Shinto shrine since assuming office in 2001, angering other Asian countries Japan invaded and occupied during World War II, such as China and South Korea.

The Japan Times Weekly: April 15, 2006
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