Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also addressed the ceremony, pledging “to uphold the painful memories of war … passing them down across generations, and pursue actions toward lasting peace”.
Ishiba, a political moderate, sent a customary offering to Yasukuni, according to Kyodo news.
No Japanese prime minister has visited the shrine since 2013, when a trip by then-premier Shinzo Abe sparked fury in Beijing and Seoul and a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States.
China’s foreign ministry said an official had made “solemn representations” with Japan’s embassy in Beijing over Friday’s visit, according to an online statement.
REFLECTION, WRONGDOINGS
With temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius in the picturesque grounds around the shrine, there was a sea of umbrellas as people tried to shelter from the sun. At least two people became unwell in the heat and were forced to seek help.
Takashi Eguchi, a 53-year-old graphic designer from Tokyo, told AFP that Yasukuni served as an accessible place in the heart of the city for ordinary people to reflect on the nation’s history.
“We live in a moment when wars have broken out or are likely to break out in various places,” he said. “So I came here to look back at what Japan has done, including its failures.”
Another visitor, who identified himself only by his surname Harada, came dressed in a Japanese imperial army uniform to honour the sacrifice of the war dead.
“I know the time will come when war veterans will no longer be with us. I wanted to do my part to continue their legacy,” said the 39-year-old from the central prefecture of Nagano.
“You have to look at all aspects of wars. Good things and bad things happened.”
