Two members of the Japanese government paid respects at a controversial shrine honouring the country's war dead despite a second day of angry protests across Asia over the Prime Minister, Mr Junichiro Koizumi's, visit to the shrine.
The South Korean government, following a similar move by China, summoned the Japanese ambassador to Seoul to make a formal protest after Mr Koizumi paid homage on Monday at the Shinto shrine.
South Korea's ambassador to Japan, Mr Choi Sang-Yong, delivered a similar message during a meeting with Japan's vice-Foreign Minister, Mr Yoshiji Nogami. Beijing also summoned the Japanese ambassador to China, Mr Koreshige Anami, to make "serious representations", the official Xinhua news agency said. Most of Japan's major newspapers have also criticised the PM's visit.
But despite the furore, Mr Hakuo Yanagisawa, the State Minister in charge of Financial Affairs, and Mr Koji Omi, Minister in charge of Okinawa Affairs, separately visited Yasukuni Shrine on the eve of the 56th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the second World War.
"Yanagisawa visited Yasukuni this morning in a private capacity, and made an offering of 10,000 yen (€70) of his own money," the Minister's secretary said.
Mr Koizumi is only the second prime minister to have officially visited the shrine since 1978, when 1,068 war criminals, among them the executed wartime prime minister, Hideki Tojo, and 13 other "Class A" war criminals, were enshrined there.