The Japanese government is making final preparations to begin negotiations with the United States next Tuesday on joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.

Japan started negotiations with TPP members in January and secured support from 4 of 9 countries involved including Vietnam and Brunei.

Among the remaining 5 nations, Japan will start discussions with the US by sending senior officials from the foreign, trade, and other ministries and agencies to Washington.

They plan to start preparing for preliminary talks on the conditions for Japan's participation in the TPP free trade negotiations.

The US government had been conducting hearings about Japan joining the talks, and is likely to push for a further opening of Japan's agricultural and automobile industries with precise requests.

Japan will make its decision on joining the talks by assessing how TPP will affect the domestic markets. Negotiations with the US will likely be a major focus on Japan's final decision making.

News credit: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120202_02.html

Image credit: http://images.johnnycupcakes.com/cc488c611377555abe07889825021ff8/2010/05/japan_us_flag.jpg