The BBC's Roland Buerk is one of the few foreign journalists who has been allowed inside the Fukushima nuclear power station that melted down after the earthquake in Japan last year. He describes the atmosphere, and the steps for the future.

Natural disasters at home and abroad contributed to the country having fewer exports than imports.

After signing similar deals with China and Korea, this third move shows that Japan might be on its way back to prominence.

Japan will replace its aging fighter jets with 42 new planes from the U.S. company Lockheed Martin, on the heels of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.