Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada paid a visit to Haiti on March 20 and said Japan will consider providing additional aid to the impoverished Caribbean country, which is struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake in January.

After meeting Haitian President Rene Preval, Okada said at a news conference that Japan will think of "additional measures" for the country on top of the $70 million it has extended for reconstruction and other purposes.

NHK reported March 19 that Japan is expected to raise its aid total to $100 million for long-term reconstruction and other projects.

Okada also revealed a plan to dispatch a team of disaster-prevention experts to Haiti to offer Japan's earthquake know-how.

Japan's support "will use taxpayer money, so it must be used in ways that can be accepted by the Japanese people," he added.