An aide to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed disappointment at U.S. criticism of Abe's visit in December to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, but the top government spokesman on Wednesday hurriedly denied that the aide was expressing the government's view.
Referring to the U.S. expression of dismay at Abe's visit to the Shinto shrine that has also annoyed Japan's neighbors in Asia, Seiichi Eto, a House of Councillors member of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, said in a message recently posted on the YouTube video-sharing website, "It's us who are disappointed."
The close aide to Abe, however, said Wednesday he will withdraw the message from the website, citing the possibility it could be misunderstood as a government message. The about-face came only hours after Eto told reporters, "That was my personal view. Why is it be a problem?"
Source: Kyodo
