US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Japan on an official visit aimed at showing solidarity with the key US ally in the wake of a devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Clinton will hold talks with Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto during the brief visit, which comes as the island nation deals with its worst crisis since World War II.
US forces have launched a muscular search, rescue and relief effort with 20,000 troops and scores of ships and aircraft after the 9.0-magnitude quake -- the biggest ever recorded in Japan -- and tsunami.
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A senior US official travelling with Clinton said before her arrival that the trip was meant to show support for Japan and its global role.
"We all recognise that Japan is at a critical phase and we want to encourage them as they rebuild and recover to maintain an international focus and that this crisis does not trigger an inward-looking Japan", he said.
Australia downgrades Tokyo travel warning
Australia has eased its travel warning for Tokyo, more than a month after a magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami hit Japan's north, damaging nuclear power facilities and triggering fears of a meltdown.
Australia lowered the warning for Tokyo after the UN World Tourism Organisation Friday said there was no reason to avoid Japan as radiation levels at the nation's airports and ports were well within safe limits.
"The level of advice for Tokyo and surrounding areas has been lowered to high degree of caution", the advisory said in the advice released late Friday.
Australia's overall advice for Japan urges travellers to exercise a "high degree of caution" -- the third of five levels of warning which range from the lowest of 'be alert to your own security' to the highest of 'do not travel'.
Tepco to sell KDDI stake for nuclear payout: report
Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) plans to sell its shares in telecom operator KDDI worth $2.2 billion to help fund compensation to families forced to relocate after the nuclear accident, a newspaper said Sunday.
TEPCO is likely to sell the shares to several institutional investors, with the help of brokerage firms, the Nikkei said, adding that the timing of the sale and share price have not been determined.
On Friday, TEPCO said it would give an initial one million yen to each family living around the radiation-leaking Fukushima Daiichi power station which was damaged by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
The company estimates payouts to the approximately 50,000 households covered by the plan will cost around 50 billion yen.
But the 50 billion yen cost likely represents only a fraction of the final bill TEPCO faces in the aftermath of the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years ago.
Radiation from the overheating reactors has made its way into the air, land and sea, resulting in bans on produce from the affected area and hurting the fishing industry because of public fears over radioactive seafood.
