The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, is planning to come to Japan in April and the government is expected to allow the visit, sources said Sunday.
Permission for the Dalai Lama to visit would surely draw opposition from China and further strain bilateral relations.
The government issued a visa last week to former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui for a personal trip despite a strong protest from China, which considers the island a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.