The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, begins a five-day visit to Japan on Friday which is expected to be dominated by trade and investment,economic reform and the Asian financial crisis. As the current chairman of the European Union, Mr Blair will be joined by the President of the European Commission, Jacques Santer, for an EU-Japan summit with the Japanese Prime Minister, Ryutaro Hashimoto. Our Diplomatic Correspondent, Barnaby Mason, reports

Western governments remain worried by the possible global impact of the financial crisis in Asia and are watching the damage done to the Japanese economy, the second biggest in the world, especially closely. Mr Blair's spokesman gave a message of support. He said the British Prime Minister was confident that the fundamental strengths of Japan's economy and the talents of its people would ensure that the current difficulties were dealt with and seen through.

The attempts being made to restore confidence in the Asian economies will be reviewed at the European Union-Japan summit talks on Monday. Mr Blair, it's said, won't lecture his hosts, but will stress the need for transparency and deregulation in the financial sector.

There's considerable Japanese interest in Mr Blair as a reformer, and he'll make the most of that to promote Britain as a good place for Japanese investment, a gateway to the European Union. His spokesman said Britain under a Labour government was not just a safe bet but a better bet.