A cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers reportedly visited the controversial Yasukuni war shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday. 

According to Japan’s Jiji Press, members of the bipartisan group that makes periodic visits to the shrine went on the third day of the shrine’s spring festival. 

The group usually visits the shrine for its spring and autumn festivals as well as on the anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II on August 15, 1945. 

On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent a ritual “Masakaki” offering to mark the beginning of the shrine’s spring festival in lieu of an in-person visit. Japan's economic revitalization minister Yoshitaka Shindo paid a visit in person the same day.

South Korea and China protested against Kishida sending a ritual offering. 

The shrine, which honors Japan's war dead and includes 14 Class-A war criminals, is considered a symbol of Japan's military aggression, and visits by state leaders are often protested by neighboring South Korea and China.