Japan's Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Keiji Furuya on Sunday visited the war- linked Yasukuni Shrine, becoming the second minister in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet to have visited the controversial shrine, local media reported.

Furuya, who is also state minister for disaster management and measures for national land strengthening, paid the visit in his capacity as a cabinet member, reported Kyodo News Agency.

His visit followed Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Yoshitaka Shindo's personal visit to the shrine, which honors Japanese war criminals of World War II on Saturday.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato also paid a personal visit to the controversial shrine Sunday, Kyodo reported.

The shrine kicked off a three-day spring festival on Sunday and will probably bring more Japanese lawmakers to visit.

Repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese leaders and lawmakers have become a major obstacle for Japan to mend its ties with neighboring China and South Korea that suffered Japan's invasion in World War II.

China and South Korea have repeatedly urged Japanese leaders to stop visits to the shrine and adopt a responsible attitude toward history.

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