Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said the government was "cautious" ahead of talks Tuesday on joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc that will include demands to eliminate tariffs on protected goods.
Japanese officials were to meet with their American counterparts in Washington to discuss participation in the U.S.-led initiative. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is pushing to join the free-trade group over the opposition of some lawmakers concerned that slashing tariffs such as the 778 percent duty on rice will hurt farmers.
U.S. President Barack Obama is seeking to expand the nine-nation talks to include Japan in what would be the biggest U.S. trade deal since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.