Koizumi will not visit shrine: report

Koizumi is popular but alienating China and Korea may prove costly

TOKYO, Japan -- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will not go ahead with a contentious visit to a Japanese war shrine, one of his top political allies is quoted as saying.

As protests continued against the visit, set for Wednesday, a spokesman for Koizumi declined to comment, saying that the prime minister was still considering his options.

The report from Kyodo News agency came a day after Koizumi met with leaders of his three-party ruling coalition. He had promised to listen to their views before deciding whether he would pay his respects at the Yasukuni shrine in downtown Tokyo.

Since taking office in April, Koizumi has repeatedly stated his desire to visit the shrine on August 15, the anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.

That has angered China and South Korea, which see Yasukuni as a monument to Japanese militarism. Among the 2.5 million soldiers honored there are executed war criminals including Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.

Koizumi has wavered in the face of the backlash, saying in recent weeks that he was only considering a visit.

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Senior officials of the two smaller parties allied in Parliament with Koizumi's Liberal Democrats reportedly tried to discourage the prime minister from going to Yasukuni at their meeting Friday night.

One was quoted Saturday as telling a radio program that he expected the prime minister to heed their advice.

"The premier will not visit the shrine. I think he will be able to stay away," Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, secretary-general of the New Komeito party, was quoted as saying by Kyodo. He reportedly did not elaborate.

But Koizumi's deputy press secretary, Tsutomu Himeno, said Saturday that no final decision had been taken by the prime minister, who has said he wants to go to Yasukuni to pay tribute to the sacrifice of ordinary soldiers.

"To my knowledge, nothing has been decided," the spokesman said. "The prime minister has been thinking about this. As he said, he will deeply reflect on the matter."

Diplomatic ineptitutde

Domestic critics are likely to charge him with diplomatic ineptitude if he keeps his promise, while those who favor a visit would fault him for breaking his word if he doesn't go -- hardly the image Koizumi wants to cultivate as he tackles tough economic reforms.

Surveys have shown the public divided fairly evenly among those who support a visit, those opposed and those who don't care.

Telephone calls to Fuyushiba's office went unanswered Saturday afternoon, and no Komeito party spokesman could be reached for comment.

Ignoring Japanese right-wing extremists shouting insults, nine Koreans began a hunger strike on Saturday at the shrine to protest against Koizumi's visit.

Relatives of Koreans who were conscripted by the Japanese army in World War II also demanded Saturday that the names of their kin be removed from the list of veterans honored at the shrine.