The New York Times has called on Japan to refrain from further worsening historical wounds.

The daily made the call in an editorial titled “Japan’s Unnecessary Nationalism,” on Wednesday.

The report said the Shinzo Abe government pushed forward the visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine by a group of ruling party legislators and senior Cabinet members while knowing the reaction it would draw from South Korea and China “which suffered under Japan’s 20th-century empire-building and militarism.”

The daily went on to say that “it seems especially foolhardy for Japan to inflame hostilities with China and South Korea when all countries need to be working cooperatively to resolve the problems with North Korea and its nuclear program.”

The report said that “instead of exacerbating historical wounds, Mr. Abe should focus on writing Japan’s future, with an emphasis on improving its long-stagnant economy and enhancing its role as a leading democracy in Asia and beyond.”