The government plans to send Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to the funeral of Pope Francis, government sources said Wednesday.
The head of the Catholic Church died Monday at the age of 88. His funeral is due to take place at the Vatican on Saturday.
With Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba scheduled to begin a Southeast Asian tour on Sunday, the government is believed to have decided that Iwaya would be best suited to represent Japan at the funeral.
Among the world leaders expected to attend the funeral are U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
For the funeral of Pope John Paul II in April 2005, Japan sent Yoriko Kawaguchi, a former foreign minister who was a special adviser to the prime minister at the time.
Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori attended the inauguration of Pope Francis in March 2013.
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