Today marks the 71st anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual donation to a controversial Tokyo war shrine instead of visiting the location.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors millions of mostly Japanese soldiers that died in battle. The shrine also pays tribute to senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes following the war. The indigenous Shinto religious shrine has for decades been a flashpoint for criticism by countries that suffered from Japan's colonialism and aggression in the first half of the 20th century.

Abe visited the shrine in December 2013 to mark his first year in power, which angered Beijing and Seoul.