TOKYO: Opposition leader Shinzo Abe, a man well-placed to become Japan's next prime minister, will visit a Tokyo war shrine Wednesday, in a move that risks causing further friction with neighbouring countries.
Abe, a former prime minister who was elected as president of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last month, will visit Yasukuni Shrine "in the evening", according to an aide.
"He went there on August 15, the anniversary of the end of World War II, and will visit again today as the autumn festival is under way," the aide said.
The visit comes as Japan's relations with China and South Korea -- the victims of Tokyo's expansionism in the first half of the 20th Century -- remain strained over two separate territorial disputes.
Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo honours 2.5 million war dead, including 14 leading war criminals from World War II.
Visits to the shrine by government ministers and high-profile figures spark outrage in China and on the Korean peninsula, where many feel Japan has failed to atone for its brutal aggression.
Abe's victory last month in the LDP leadership race positions him well for re-taking the premiership in general elections that must be held within the next year.
Incumbent prime minister Yoshihiko Noda has not visited Yasukuni, although two of his ministers went in August.
Abe, known for his conservative views on history, frequently visited Yasukuni before he became prime minister but while in office in 2007 he avoided the shrine.
His predecessor Junichiro Koizumi prayed annually at Yasukuni, including a visit on August 15 in 2006, infuriating China and South Korea, which refused to hold summits with him.
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