Japan indicated yesterday it was resigned to the US re-moving North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, considerably softening what had been staunch opposition to the move.

Nobutaka Machimura, chief cabinet secretary, said Tokyo understood "the high possibility" that Washington would begin the process of delisting North Korea if, as hoped, Pyongyang declared its nuclear programmes tomorrow. He said removing it from the list of terrorist nations would not affect "close US-Japanese ties".