Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine. 

Quoting an official from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Kyodo News said on Thursday that Kishida sent the "tamagushi" ritual offering earlier in the day to mark the 79th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

Kishida has not visited the shrine in person since taking office in October 2021 and instead sent ritual offerings for biannual festivals in the spring and fall and for the anniversaries of Japan’s surrender in World War Two on August 15. 

Cabinet ministers such as defense minister Kihara Minoru and economic revitalization minister Yoshitaka Shindo visited the war shrine in person. It marks the fifth consecutive year that incumbent Cabinet ministers visited the shrine on the anniversary. 

The shrine, which honors Japan's war dead and includes 14 Class-A war criminals, is considered a symbol of Japan's military aggression, and visits by state leaders are often protested by neighboring South Korea and China.