Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's announcement to visit Pearl Harbor is a "hypocritical gesture" to cater to the United States rather than a sincere reflection on the country's World War II-era war crimes, analysts said.

Yoshihide Suga, chief Cabinet secretary of Japan, said on Tuesday that Abe will not apologize for the surprise attack that killed more than 2,000 US citizens and triggered the entry of the US into World War II.

"This visit is for the sake of consoling the souls of those who died in the war, not for the sake of an apology," Suga told a news conference.