Japan has confirmed it will take part in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the organizer of the event said on Thursday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has personally written to his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, saying that "the Japanese government has officially decided to take part in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo," a spokesman with the Expo's coordination bureau said.

"The confirmation demonstrates the support by the Japanese government for the Shanghai World Expo and also its positive attitude in advancing relations between China and Japan," the spokesman said.

Relations between China and Japan turned cold when former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi persisted in visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, where 14 Japanese class-A war criminals from World War II are honored among the country's war dead.

Abe, who took office on Sept. 26, paid an visit to China on Oct. 8 and 9. His visit was the first to China by a Japanese prime minister in five years. Abe was also the first Japanese postwar prime minister to choose China for his first official overseas trip.

Abe's "ice-breaking" visit was applauded by Chinese netizens as more than three quarters of them believe that a good relationship with Japan is "important", according to a recent survey by China Youth Daily.

Japan has hosted the World Expo five times, the last was held in Aichi, last year.

To date, 89 countries and international organizations have confirmed they will participate in the Shanghai Expo, its spokesman said.

Source: Xinhua