Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine for the war dead, a move that will likely mess up plans for bilateral talks with neighbours South Korea and China.

Both local and international critics see the war shrine as a standing symbol of Japan's militaristic past. The said structure honors war criminals convicted by an Allied tribunal and millions of war victims, First Post explained.

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Abe reportedly offered a "masakaki" tree branch to the shrine, in line with this week's autumn festival. By sending the offering, he is implying that he will not visit the controversial war shrine during the occasion to encourage China and South Korea to push through with the planned talks, according to The Japan Times.

The last time that the Japanese leader visited the war shrine was in December, a year after he launched his government. This move was seen as an effort to gain the favour of Abe's conservative supporters, the report stated.

On Monday, the first day of the autumn festival, a group of lawmakers visited the shrine, as is customarily done by the group. Members of the PM's LDP and the opposition group Democratic Party of Japan were among those who visited.

The bipartisan group usually pays homage to the Yasukuni shrine during the yearly spring and fall festivals. They also visit the structure on August 15, the surrender anniversary, the report detailed.

The Japanese PM is currently in Milan for a summit with Asian and European leaders and is expected to be back home by Saturday. The visit, which happened in December, angered China and South Korea, as it revived the bitterness from Japan's militarism in the past.

However, Abe is now striving to mend ties with Beijing and Seoul through the proposed November talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

TagsYasukuni Shrine, Tokyo shrine, war shrine, Japan’s militarism, bilateral talks