An imperial Japanese soldier who spent 29 years in hiding on an island in the Philippines after World War II has died aged 91.

Hiroo Onoda was one of about 60 soldiers who fought on from their jungle strongholds after the war, refusing to believe that the Japanese empire had been defeated.

The former army intelligence officer spent three decades waging his own guerrilla war on Lubang Island in the north-western Philippines.

In 1974 he laid down his arms, but only after his former commanding officer returned and personally ordered him to do so.

"Every Japanese soldier was prepared for death but as an intelligence officer I was ordered to conduct guerrilla warfare and not to die," he told the ABC in 2010.

"I became an officer and I received an order. If I could not carry it out I would feel shame. I am very competitive."

Hiroo Onoda only emerged from the jungle in 1974 after being personally ordered by his commanding officer. ( AFP: Jiji Press, file photo )

For years, Hiroo Onoda would ignore attempts to get him to surrender. He dismissed leaflet drops and search parties as enemy trickery.

"The leaflets they dropped were filled with mistakes, so I judged it was a plot by the Americans," he said.

Hiroo Onoda, who was drafted in 1942, received training for two years and was sent to the island in 1944.

In the beginning, Hiroo Onoda was hiding out alongside two fellow soldiers. But they died in clashes with Filipino villagers and soldiers.

He survived on coconut milk, bananas and by stealing and butchering cattle.

For information, he would listen to a stolen shortwave radio. His favourite broadcast was ABC Radio Australia.

"Once I listened to an Australian election broadcast," he said.

"Another time I was interested in a cattle story - that helped me to later become a cattle breeder."

After returning to Japan, Hiroo Onoda emigrated in 1975 to Brazil to run a cattle ranch.

He later returned to his home country to teach students survival skills and authored several books including No Surrender: My 30 Year War.

Officials in Phillipines send condolences to Onoda

Hiroo Onoda died of heart failure at a Tokyo hospital Thursday afternoon (local time), his family said.

Officials from Lubang Island sent their condolences.

"On behalf of the people of Lubang, we would like to send our condolences and prayers to the family of Mr. Onoda," said Charles Villas, vice mayor of a municipality on Lubang Island.

When Mr Onoda surrendered, the Philippines government pardoned him for his involvement in the killing of some 30 islanders.

Mr Villas said islanders have forgiven Mr Onoda for the "mistakes" he made while thinking it was still wartime, like the torching of rice granaries and farm tools, and even the killing of some residents.

"What the people of Lubang remember now is how Onoda came to visit in the early 1990s and donated musical organs and school supplies like Japan-made crayons, water colours and pencils to the churches and schools here in Lubang," Mr Villas said.

"I vividly remember these donations because my mother was a grade school teacher and she was one of the beneficiaries."

"May he rest in peace."

"Onoda has become a part of Lubang history," said Gina Julaton, tourism chief of a Lubang municipality.

She said Lubang developed the Onoda trail and cave as a local tourist attraction in 2010.

"Japanese tourists and students have, in fact, come to Lubang just to experience Onoda's trail and life while in hiding. They are curious about his life here," Ms Julaton said.

ABC/Kyodo