Economist says that Koizumi's visit to the Yashukuni shrine will cause conflicts with his political partners as well as neighboring countries.
The London-based weekly said in an article entitled, "Don't Go to Yasukuni," that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is likely to visit the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, the 56th anniversary of Japan's surrender ending World War II.
The shrine in the heart of Tokyo honors the convicted war criminals from World War II along with the rest of Japan's 2.5 million war dead.
The weekly said that Koizumi's visit to the place commemorating Japan's colonialism will trigger protests not only from the co-host of the 2002 World Cup, South Korea but also from other neighbors including China and even his coalition partners.
It added that Koizumi wants to visit Yasukuni because it is the symbol of Japan's nationalism while Germany's prime ministers are reluctant to visit places symbolizing German nationalism.