Japan's Prime Minister, Mr Yoshiro Mori, has provoked anger and dismay at home and across Asia by referring to Japan as a divine country with the emperor at its centre, language associated with the imperial Japan of the early 20th century.
He made the remark to visitors with ties to the ancient Shinto religion, which was a potent force behind second World War militarism. The comment - akin to a modern German leader praising the Third Reich - drew a sharp rebuff from China, a victim of Japanese aggression.
"The Japanese side should learn a lesson from history, especially during the second World War, to prevent history from repeating itself," the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Ms Zhang Qiyue, told a news conference in Beijing. "We hope the Japanese side can seriously and responsibly handle the historical problems concerned and not do anything to hurt the feelings of the Chinese and other Asian peoples."
Mr Mori told his visitors on the eve of a private funeral for the former prime minister, Mr Keizo Obuchi: "Japan is a divine country with the emperor at its centre, and we want the people of Japan to recognise this."
The Japanese Prime Minister has a history of political gaffes. He is remembered in Osaka for his famous comment in 1988: "It is not surprising that Osaka is called a `spittoon' because it is a dirty city whose citizens cannot think about anything but money."
But this comment has wider repercussions as it challenges Japan's post-war constitutional separation of politics and religion and touches a raw nerve in countries which were victims of aggression by imperial Japan. It provoked outrage from the opposition and his own cabinet and coalition.
Mr Mori yesterday tried to limit the damage, saying he had been referring to Japanese history and did not intend to question the sovereignty of the people. But his own Defence Minister, Mr Tsutomu Kawara, said: "This is an issue about which more caution should be exercised."
"We are very confused, we want him to explain clearly what he meant," said Mr Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, secretary-general of the Buddhist-backed New Komeito, a key partner in his three-way ruling coalition.
"Because of these remarks, which deny the constitution, we must topple the cabinet," said Mr Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the main opposition party.
Mr Mori is expected to call a general election for June 25th.
Shinto, which is indigenous to Japan, teaches that the world is full of gods dominated by the sun goddess Amaterasu, from whom the emperor is said to be descended. It was the official religion of the Japanese armies which invaded Asian neighbours between 1937 and 1945, when Japan was defeated.
After the second World War, Shinto was stripped of most of its nationalistic connotations and the emperor ceased to be divine.