Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe walks after paying respects for the atomic bomb victims at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan September 1, 2006. Abe, an advocate of keeping tight ties with the United States while forging closer relations with Asian democracies, was set on Friday to announce his candidacy to become the country's next prime minister -- a contest he already looks certain to win. The A-bomb memorial dome is seen in the background. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao (JAPAN)