Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visits the war-related Yasukuni Shrine as "a private citizen" rather than in an official capacity, Japanese government said in a statement Tuesday.

The comments were made in its written response to questions by House of Representatives member Tetsundo Iwakuni of the Democratic Party of Japan.

On the premier's visits to the shrine, the government said that they are not official events and that public money has not been spent on them.

The written response also noted that when the late Emperor Hirohito visited the shrine, he did so privately, not in performance of a state function.

Source: Xinhua