Yasuo Fukuda, the frontrunner to succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said yesterday that he would stay away from a Tokyo shrine seen by Asian neighbours as a symbol of Japan's past militarism if he were chosen as the nation's new leader.

The 71-year-old lawmaker, known for advocating closer ties with other Asian countries, told a news conference where he announced his candidacy that he would not pay respects at Yasukuni Shrine, which honours some convicted Japanese war criminals along with the country's war dead.

"Would you do something your friend would not like? You wouldn't right?" Fukuda said.

"Relations between countries are the same. So there is no need to do something that the other side would not like."

Ties with China and South Korea turned icy under Abe's predecessor Junichiro Koizumi, largely due to his annual visits to Yasukuni.

Fukuda, a former chief cabinet secretary, has secured a big lead over hawkish former foreign minister Taro Aso in the race for the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since Abe abruptly announced his resignation on Wednesday, as most party factions have already pledged him their support.

"So many people have said to me: 'You should stand', and hearing those voices, I've decided to tackle the current difficulties facing this nation with responsibility," said Fukuda, son of a prime minister.

Koizumi, who remains popular among voters, has also thrown his weight behind Fukuda, and a poll by Kyodo news agency released on Friday showed that voters favoured Fukuda 28.1 per cent to 18.7 per cent for Aso.

The LDP president is assured of the premiership as the ruling coalition commands a firm majority in the parliament's lower house, which picks the prime minister.