Lawmakers from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative Liberal Democratic Party are set to visit the highly controversial Yasukuni Shrine on this Friday.<br /> According to Japan's Kyodo News,... a number of the lawmakers will pay respect,... with Japan's Spring Festival set to begin on Saturday. <br />Last year,... some 60 lawmakers went to the shrine, which is a symbol of Japan's militaristic past.<br />The shrine honors two-point-four-six million Japanese war dead,... including twelve convicted Class-A war criminals. <br />Abe visited the shrine in late 2013 to mark his first year in power,... but has since sent a ritual offering instead of going in-person. <br />
