Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has once again stirred up regional resentment by sending a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

Abe made his "masakaki" tree offering -- under the name of the prime minister -- during the annual autumn festival which is associated with the shrine.

The Yasukuni Shrine evokes much bad feeling because it is regarded as a symbol of past Japanese militarism. Amongst the people it honors are 14 Class-A convicted war criminals from World War Two.

Previous visits to the infamous shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have sparked strong criticism from countries in the region, including China and South Korea.