TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday made a monetary offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, on the occasion of its spring festival.

Takaichi also sent a ritual "masakaki" tree offering to the war-linked shrine on Tuesday.

Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II. It has long been a source of diplomatic friction between Japan and its neighbors.