TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, local media reported.

Takaichi made a "tamagushi" ritual offering to the war-linked shrine through senior officials of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on the occasion of the anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, Kyodo News reported.

Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, honors 14 convicted Japanese Class-A war criminals from World War II. It has long been a source of diplomatic friction between Japan and its neighbors.

For a long time, visits and ritual offerings made by Japanese officials to the controversial shrine have consistently sparked criticism and opposition both at home and abroad, hurting the feelings of the people of China, South Korea, and other countries and regions victimized by Japan's wartime aggression.