Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reportedly sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine for the first time since taking office earlier this month.

According to Japan's NHK and Jiji Press, Kishida sent a "masakaki" tree to the shrine on Sunday to mark the two-day autumn festival.

Jiji Press said that Kishida will not visit the shrine in person during the festival that runs through Monday, in order to avoid possible negative repercussions to Tokyo's diplomatic relations with South Korea and China.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the shrine in person in 2013, a year after he took office, igniting strong protests and criticism from South Korea and China.

The shrine in Tokyo, which honors Japan's war dead including 14 Class-A war criminals, is considered a symbol of Japan's past militarism.