Japanese PM hopes to attend Beijing Olympics opening ceremony

TOKYO, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said on Friday that he hoped to attend the opening ceremony of the2008 Beijing Olympic Games scheduled for Aug. 8.

"But I haven't yet decided," said Fukuda in response to questions raised by reporters.

If Fukuda manages to do that, it will be the first time for a Japanese prime minister to attend the ceremony since 1988, when Noboru Takeshita, then prime minister, was present at the opening ceremony of the Seoul Olympics.