Shinzo Abe, chief of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and the front-runner in the race to be Japan's next prime minister, will visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine on Wednesday evening, Kyodo News Agency reported quoting LDP officials.

After winning the largest opposition party's leadership election on Sept 27, the spotlight has now switched to the hawkish politician's stance to China and South Korea. Japan has territorial disputes with the two countries and has invaded both in the past.

In April 2006, as the then LDP chief cabinet secretary, Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine that honors war criminals, drawing concern and criticism from China and South Korea.