Political observers termed as a publicity stunt the visit by Japanese lawmakers to the Yasukuni shrine.

"The Japanese politicians' visit to the controversial shrine serves a political purpose as their elections, scheduled to be held before September, are drawing near," said Feng Zhaokui, former deputy head of the Institute of Japan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"They do not want to lose the votes from the offspring of the people immortalized in the shrine and from those who pay close attention to Japan's diplomatic moves," he said.