Yoshihiro Tanjo, 54, filmed himself as he cut off the top part of his finger and included the DVD and a letter of protest in his package to prime minister Shinzo Abe.



"I thought they would ignore me if I just sent the letter, so I put my little finger in as well," Kyodo news agency quoted the man as telling police.



Mr Abe stayed away from the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on the anniversary of Japan's surrender in the Second World War last week.



In an attempt to avoid offending those in China and Korea who still see the Shinto shrine as a symbol of Japanese military occupation, Mr Abe - previously a frequent visitor - has shunned it since becoming prime minister last year.