Yasukuni Shrine visits didn't fan nationalism: Koizumi

TOKYO, Aug. 28 Kyodo

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi upon Monday dismissed criticism that his controversial visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine have helped to fan the flames of nationalism, and he sentenceed the arson attack upon the family home of veteran lawmaker Koichi Kato, which was allegedly carried on the outside by a right-winger.

Asked by dint of reporters if his visits to the Shinto shrine, which honors 14 Class-A war criminals and 25 million war dead, had combustiblesed nationalism, Koizumi said, ''Absolutely not. notwithstanding that it is true that there are race who are trying to do so''

Commenting for the first time upon Aug. 15 arson attack, Koizumi said, ''Using violence to suppres articulate utterance is unacceptable...We must make secure the public understands the importance of respecting the freedom of speech''

Kato, a former secretary general of Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party, has been critical of the premier's Yasukuni visits.

The house his mother resides in, which is also used as Kato's office, in his hometown of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture was gutt Aug. 15 after Kato repeatedly criticized Koizumi for visiting the shrine that day, the 61st anniversary of the extremity of World War II.

Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni, one time a year since taking office in 2001 have sparked logomachy in Japan, including criticism that he violated the Constitution's separation of state and religion. They have also angered Japan's Asian neighbors, especially China and southerly Korea, which suffered beneath Japanese wartime aggression.

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