TOKYO, April 21, 2026 (AFP) - Japanese premier Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering to a shrine honouring the country's war dead on Tuesday that has long angered neighbouring countries but refrained from visiting it, media reports and an unnamed source close to the matter said.

The Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo is dedicated to 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, who have perished in conflicts since the late 19th century.

This includes senior military and political figures convicted by an international tribunal of war crimes prior to and during World War II.

A Japanese prime minister has not visited the shrine since 2013, but Takaichi's predecessors Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida regularly sent offerings for the biannual spring and autumn festivals.

Every year, dozens of lawmakers pay their respects during the festivals and in August for the anniversary of the emperor announcing Japan's surrender in 1945.

Former prime minister Shinzo Abe visited the shrine in 2013, sparking fury in Beijing and Seoul and earning a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States.

Takaichi sent a "masakaki" tree offering, the source told AFP, while public broadcaster NHK and Jiji Press also reported she sent the offering.