'Following an invitation from Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), the International Atomic Energy Agency is to send a follow-up mission to Tokyo and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant from January 28 to February 1,' the IAEA said in a statement.

'The purpose of the mission is to build on the preliminary findings of an IAEA international team of experts that visited the plant August 6-10, 2007, after the strong earthquake of July 16.'

The team of 12 experts would hold discussions with Japanese officials and conduct an examination at the site in relation to the seismic safety of its seven units, the IAEA said.

They would also be provided the results of studies and investigations conducted since the earthquake by the owners of the plant, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and NISA.

IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei 'welcomed the invitation to undertake a follow-up mission and said that lessons learned from the continuing investigations will be shared with the international nuclear community'.

Following the July 16 earthquake that measured 6.8 on the Richter scale and whose epicentre was just 16 kilometres from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the giant facility northwest of Tokyo caught fire and leaked a small amount of radiation.

Despite its propensity for earthquakes, Japan relies on nuclear plants for nearly one-third of its power needs as it has virtually no natural energy resources. -- AFP