Japanese PM Abe will not visit war-dead shrine on WW2 anniversary - Jiji

Shrine security officials walk in the precincts of the Yasukuni shrine during the visit of a group of Japanese lawmakers in Tokyo, Japan April 22, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will not visit a controversial shrine for war dead in Tokyo on the anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two defeat, Jiji news agency has reported.

However, Abe plans to send a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine to mark the anniversary on Monday, Jiji reported on Thursday. The shrine honours 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals and is seen in China and South Korea as a symbol of Tokyo's wartime militarism.