Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine on Tuesday drew wide protests from coalition and opposition parties, politicians, civil groups as well as peace-loving people in Japan.

Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said Koizumi's visit to the shrine was "hard to understand from abroad."

According to Kyodo News, Tanigaki conveyed his protest directly to the prime minister at an informal gathering with Koizumi in Tokyo.

Japan's three opposition parties also criticized Koizumi's visit.

Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said "the visit was an absurd act which could not be more irresponsible."

Japanese Communist Party leader Kazuo Shii said in a statement that Koizumi's visit to the shrine "exposed his irresponsibility regarding the country's foreign affairs," and the party was firmly against it.

Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Social Democratic Party, said at a press conference that Koizumi's visit was a mistake.

"Aug. 15 should be a day when we share a pledge of no more war. But (the premier) is trying to change the nature of the anniversary into a day of justifying sacrifice to state," she added.

Takenori Kanzaki, leader of the coalition partner New Komeito said "it is quite regrettable because (the visit came) on the symbolic day of Aug. 15."

Koichi Kato, former secretary general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said Japan's diplomacy in Asia was almost in paralysis and Koizumi's shrine visit had been an important factor.

"Actions regarding diplomacy cannot be resolved with words like 'spiritual matter'," he said.

The Japan-China Friendship Association said in a statement that it "strongly" protested against Koizumi's visit to the shrine on Aug. 15.

The Japan War-Bereaved Peaceful Association National Communication Committee also issued a statement saying "We strongly protest against the shrine visit" and "We say NO to the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine."

Seigo Hirayama, head of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, said in a statement that Koizumi apparently violated the Constitution, which stipulates that "the state and its organs shall refrain from religious education or any other religious activity."

The federation consists of 52 bar associations across Japan with about 22,000 law professionals.

Before Koizumi visited the Yasukuni Shrine Tuesday morning, hundreds of protesters arrived at the shrine to lodge their protests. A group of peaceloving people from Japan, South Korea and China's Taiwan also staged a sit-down protest around the shrine early Tuesday morning.

Koizumi paid pilgrimage to the Tokyo-based shrine early Tuesday morning. This has been his sixth visit to the war shrine as prime minister.

Koizumi's visits to the shrine have been denounced by countries which suffered Japan's brutal aggression before and during World War II. His previous visits have chilled Japan's relations with neighboring China and South Korea, making the issue the major stumbling block in the smooth development of relations with those countries.

Source: Xinhua