The New York Times on Tuesday qualified Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine as a "pointless provocation."

By visiting the war shrine, Koizumi publicly embraced "the worst traditions of Japanese militarism," and promoted "an unapologetic view" of Japan's war-time crimes in Asia, said an editorial of the newspaper.

It pointed out that the Yasukuni Shrine is not merely a memorial to Japan's 2.5 million war dead, because among those worshiped inside it are war criminals who were tried, convicted and executed.

"Mr. Koizumi clearly knew what he was doing," the editorial said, and "this visit is a calculated affront to the descendants of those victimized by Japanese crimes."

However, by stirring up nightmare memories among Japan's neighbors, the Japanese prime minister is wrong in his calculations, it said.

"Such provocations seem particularly gratuitous in an era that has seen an economically booming China become Japan's most critical economic partner," said the editorial.

Instead of once again hurting feelings of its neighbors, Japan should "face up to its history in the 20th century so that it can move honorably into the 21st, "it said.

Koizumi made a pilgrimage visit to the Yasukuni Shrine on Monday, which drew sharp objections from China and other Asian neighbours.

Source: Xinhua