The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, yesterday officially opened a business incubator unit in Tokyo to help Irish companies establish operations in Japan.

The unit, which will be run by Enterprise Ireland, has provision for 10 companies. Three are already planning to set up in the new unit - Xiam, Kerry Ingredients and 365 Network.

According to Ms Harney, small companies have difficulty in accessing Japanese markets. "We want to make it as problem free as possible for those companies. We have already opened three centres like this in the US and they have been highly successful."

The new incubator unit is in Tokyo's Shibuya district in the Sunbridge Venture Habitat building. These types of incubators are emerging throughout

Japan and offer services ranging from financial support to finding business partners as well as legal and accounting work.

Ms Harney said operating in the Japanese market was expensive. "We are anxious to help companies in their infancy," she said. Companies can stay in the incubator for between 12 and 18 months.

Meanwhile, Ms Harney - who is leading the largest trade mission outside of Ireland to Japan to date - yesterday met the leader of the opposition, Mr Yukio Hatoyama, and former prime minister Mr Tsutomu Hata.

She was special guest at a lunch hosted by Bord Failte and attended by the directors of the Japanese Association of Travel Agents. About 31,000 Japanese tourists visited Ireland last year, a figure which is expected to rise this year.

Some 69 Irish companies across various sectors are in Tokyo this week on the trade mission, considered to be one of the most successful ever abroad.