The secretaries general of two of the three ruling parties left Narita airport Monday, and the third was to leave later in the day from Osaka, for an eight-day visit to the Middle East, the parties said.
As part of efforts to discuss Iraq's postwar reconstruction, the three officials will travel to Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar, where they will discuss Iraq aid with officials there.
Taku Yamasaki of the Liberal Democratic Party and Toshihiro Nikai of the New Conservative Party left from Narita, while Tetsuzo Fuyushiba of New Komeito was to fly from Kansai International Airport on Monday night.
Fuyushiba will join Yamasaki and Nikai in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates is the stop, the parties said.
In Iraq, they will visit Umm Qasr, a deep-water port in the country's southern area, exchange opinions with officials of the U.S. Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, and examine possible ways for the Self-Defense Forces to aid in the rebuilding of Iraq.
They are scheduled to return to Japan next Monday.
The ORHA, headed by Jay Garner, a retired U.S. general, is in charge of overseeing postwar reconstruction and humanitarian assistance in Iraq.