Japan's Koizumi says shrine visit not glorifying war

TOKYO, Aug 15 (Reuters) Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi defended his pilgrimage to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine for war dead today despite warnings from China and South Korea not to go, saying he was not glorifying war or militarism.

''I go with the feeling that we should not wage war again and that we must not forget the sacrifice of those who went to war and died,'' Koizumi told reporters.

He was speaking after China and South Korea, which bore the brunt of their neighbour's past military aggression, protested his visit to the shrine on the anniversary of Japan's World War Two surrender.

Japanese World War Two leaders convicted as war criminals are honoured along with 2.5 million war dead at the Shinto shrine.

''I am not going there for the Class A war criminals. I am going there to mourn the many who made sacrifices,'' Koizumi said.

Koizumi, who steps down next month after more than five years in office, reiterated his criticism of Chinese and South Korean leaders for refusing to hold bilateral summits because of his annual shrine visits.

Asked why he had chosen to go to the shrine on the emotive anniversary when in the past he has avoided it, Koizumi said he was criticised whatever date he went.

''It's the same whenever I go, and if that's the case I thought today was appropriate,'' he said.

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