TOKYO - Half of Japanese don't want their next prime minister to visit a Tokyo war shrine at the center of a diplomatic row with Japan's East Asian neighbors, according to a newspaper poll published Wednesday.

The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, a candidate for the premiership, has called for the Yasukuni war shrine to be put under state control and stripped of its religious affiliation so even the emperor could visit. [AFP\File]

A survey in the Yomiuri daily, Japan's largest newspaper, showed 50.3 percent of 3,000 respondents felt that whoever replaces Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who is set to step down in September should not visit Yasukuni Shrine.

Another 40.4 percent supported the visits, while the remaining 9.4 percent were undecided, the August 5-6 poll found.

China and other Asian countries say Yasukuni, which honors Japan's 2.5 million war dead, including 14 convicted World War II war criminals, glorifies Japan's militarist past.

Opposition to the shrine visits has increased since the newspaper's last survey on the issue in June, Yomiuri said. Other recent newspaper polls on the issue have produced similar results.

The Yomiuri poll, which gave no margin of error, also showed that 48.6 percent of respondents felt Koizumi should not visit the shrine again before he steps down.

Another 43.1 percent felt he should, while the remaing 8.4 percent were undecided, it said.

Koizumi has visited the shrine every year since becoming prime minister in 2001, keeping a pledge he made during his successful campaign for the premiership.

On Tuesday, Koizumi suggested he plans to worship again at the controversial shrine, to mark the August 15 anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, in Tokyo for talks with Japanese officials, demanded Koizumi refrain.

Ban was scheduled to meet the frontrunner to succeed Koizumi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, Wednesday morning.

Abe, who has supported Koizumi's visits, reportedly worshipped at the shrine in secret earlier this year. But he has refused to confirm those reports or say whether he would go again as prime minister.