Japan pledges to soothe relations over war shrine

Japan’s foreign minister today pledged to smooth ties with China and South Korea after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi enraged the two Asian neighbours and sparked business jitters by visiting a war shrine that critics say glorifies Japan’s militaristic past.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura’s efforts to contain the diplomatic damage from the incident came as nearly 200 other Japanese politicians and aides followed Koizumi’s example by visiting Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine today.