The latest telephone poll by Mainichi Shimbun found 50 percent are against Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi making further visits to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, outnumbering 41 percent who expressed support, the major Japanese newspaper reported Monday.

Support for Koizumi's Cabinet stood at 41 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous survey in April, while disapproval rose 3 points to 38 percent.

Asked what action Japan should take in the face of deteriorating relations with China as a result of Koizumi's pilgrimages, 30 percent said Japan should "seek understanding from China" while Koizumi continues the visits.

They were followed by 29 percent who said the state should build a memorial service facility, while 12 percent said Class-A war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni should be separated.

Yasukuni, a Shinto shrine in Tokyo, honors the war dead including 14 Class-A criminals responsible for Japan's aggression war against its Asian neighbors.

Koizumi has visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine once a year since taking office in April 2001. Last month, the premier indicated a plan at a parliament meeting to again visit the shrine sometime this year.

The telephone poll conducted Saturday and Sunday is based on replies from 1,054 randomly selected voters throughout the nation, the Mainichi Shimbun said.

Source: Xinhua