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By Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) - Voters in Japan's capital go to the polls on Sunday with a candidate backed by the ruling party likely to win the race to become governor, frustrating rivals' efforts to make the vote a referendum on the prime minister's pro-nuclear energy policy. Media surveys have shown a former health minister, Yoichi Masuzoe, backed by ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), far ahead of ex-prime minister Morihiro Hosokawa, who has made opposition to nuclear power the top of his platform. A Masuzoe victory would be a relief for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who suffered a rare setback last month when an LDP-backed candidate lost an election for mayor of the city of Nago on Okinawa island to the incumbent, who opposes a government plan to move a U.S. Marines' air base to his city. Masuzoe, 65, has campaigned on promises to improve social welfare in the capital city of 13.3 million people and to ensure the success of the 2020 Olympics, which Tokyo will host.More...