Bush starts visit to Japan

Former US president George W. Bush arrived in Japan on Tuesday on his first visit to the country since he left office, officials said.

Wearing a dark suit, a smiling Bush waved to the media and travellers in Narita airport, before heading into Tokyo for a two-day visit at the invitation of a private-sector organisation, reports and airport officials said.

Later Tuesday, after changing into a baseball windbreaker, Bush threw a ceremonial first pitch for the Japan Series between the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters at Tokyo Dome.

Among guests invited to the ceremony were former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh and US President Barack Obama's new ambassador to Japan, John Roos.

During his stay, Bush is expected to meet Koizumi and give a speech, reports said.

Koizumi, one of the nation's most popular premiers in modern times, maintained close personal ties with Bush.

Koizumi retired from politics earlier this year without running in general elections in August, at which his Liberal Democratic Party suffered a major defeat, ending half a century of almost unbroken conservative rule.

Bush has no plans to hold talks with any officials of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's centre-left government, officials said.

Bush visited Japan in July last year for his last summit of the Group of Eight industrialised nations.