Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda implied Tuesday that he will not visit the Tokyo-based Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II.

In response to the question as to whether he is to visit the war-linked shrine, where 14 Class A war criminals are honored, Fukuda said "Look back on my behavior in the past."

On a separate occasion, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura answered a similar question, saying that he did not visit the shrine when he was Japan's foreign minister and "that is the answer."

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)