Japan PM hopeful avoids visiting shrine

THE new head of Japan’s ruling party, Sanae Takaichi, sent an offering but avoided visiting a controversial war shrine yesterday, as political wrangling intensified over her bid to become prime minister.

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Takaichi became Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader on October 4, but her aim to become Japan’s first woman prime minister was derailed by the collapse of the ruling coalition last week. The LDP is now in talks about forming a different alliance, boosting Takaichi’s chances of becoming premier in a parliamentary vote that media reports said will likely happen on Tuesday.

Past visits by top leaders to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, which honours even convicted war criminals, have angered China and South Korea, and no Japanese premier has visited since 2013.