Emperor Hirohito

The late Japanese Emperor Hirohito stopped visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo because he did not like the enshrinement of war criminals there.

A note left by a former imperial aide Tomohiko Tomita, now deceased, took note of the comments by the emperor in a notebook in 1988.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has made repeated visits to the shrine, sparking protests from Asian neighbors invaded by Japan during World War II.

Critics argue such visits constitute a violation of the Constitution, which provides for the separation of state and religion, the Mainichi Daily News said.

The shrine, which commemorates the country’s war dead, is a source of tension between Japan and its neighbours, who say it honours Japan's militarist past.

Koizumi's visits have caused ties with China and South Korea to worsen.

Emperor Hirohito, father of Emperor Akihito, had not paid a visit to the shrine since Class-A war criminals were enshrined in 1978, but the reason why was not previously disclosed.

The current Emperor Akihito has not visited Yasukuni since he ascended the throne in 1989.

A member of Tomita's family said he often talked with Emperor the Imperial Palace while he was head of the Imperial Household Agency and took note of their conversations, the Mainichi Daily News reported.

The family member added that Tomita told his family about the remarks that Emperor Hirohito made about the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine.