“Ah, you beat me to it this year!” a delighted Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi says signing the guestbook at the Yasukuni Shrine under the signature of his heir apparent, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, dated April 15, 2006. The grinning imperial war criminals on the wall behind chorus, “Great job picking your successor!”

Koizumi again visited the Yasukuni Shrine on Tuesday, the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II -- and Independence Day for Korea -- despite strong protests from Korea and China.