Singapore said Japan must "do more" to assure neighbors of its intentions as it builds a stronger military, weeks after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine hurt its relations with China and South Korea.

Japan's leaders will continue to strengthen the military given the mounting concerns over its own security, Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a speech to defense officials and strategic analysts Monday.

"This shift away from Japan's post-World War II pacifism is likely to continue even if there is a change of government," Ng said at the IISS Fullerton Forum in Singapore. "Japan will have to do more to assure its neighbors, especially as it seeks a strong Japan with greater military capabilities."