The lawmakers paid respects at the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo for an annual fall festival. The shrine honors 2.5 million Japanese fallen in modern wars including convicted war criminals such as World War II-era leader general Hideki Tojo.

The pilgrims included Tsutomu Takebe, newly appointed secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and former prime minister Tsutomu Hata of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.

Some opposition members have accused Koizumi of harming relations with giant neighbour China by visiting the shrine, while not objecting to pilgrimages by Japanese other than top government leaders.

Tsutomu Kawara, a former defense agency chief who led the lawmakers, told reporters that the group visit was justified based on Japanese tradition.

"This is our tradition based on our history. There is a consensus beyond party affiliations that we, the representatives of the Japanese public, should visit (Yasukuni)," Kawara said.

The mass pilgrimage was made a day after Koizumi told a legislative committee that while his visits to Yasukuni were "not pleasant for China," the Japanese should decide for themselves how to honor their dead.

Kawara told reporters "I have no disagreement" with Koizumi's stance.

China and South Korea, which were occupied by imperial Japan until 1945, have voiced outrage over Koizumi's repeated visits to the shrine. The leaders of China and Japan have not visited each other's country for three years due to the dispute.

China's Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi said Monday that Koizumi's visits were a "serious diplomatic problem."

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