In a rare newspaper article, the Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto has appealed to the British people to forgive Japan for its treatment of British prisoners during the Second World War. Mr Hashimoto spoke to Britain's biggest selling daily newspaper, the Sun, about what he called the tremendous damage and suffering of that time. Juliet Hindell reports from Tokyo:

The Japanese Prime Minister's letter to the British paper, The Sun, is a new departure in Japanese diplomacy. It's not only the first time that Ryutaro Hashimoto has written for a foreign newspaper but the first time that he's written for any newspaper.

He's also adopted a tone which is far more informal than most Japanese politicians tend to use.

Mr Hashimoto's expressions of regret for the suffering caused by Japan in the Second World War are similar to statements he and other Prime Ministers have made in the past.

But the fact that the letter has appeared at all reflects a deep anxiety in Tokyo that relations with Britain should be as cordial as possible to avoid any confrontation during the visit of the Emperor and Empress to Britain in May. The Japanese government would like to draw a line under the country's war record.

This latest effort is a more open approach to the issue than ever before. Despite being a unique event, Japanese media have not yet covered the story.

For Mr Hashimoto himself, it's also a very personal letter. Before he became Prime Minister he was head of the Association of Families Bereaved in the War.