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 Initial talks are being held between the two countries to prepare
for the lifting of sanctions and begin formal negotiations, the
business daily said, without identifying the sources.
Japan is keen to boost ties with Iran and invest in resource
projects in the country, as well as return imports of Iranian oil to
about 10 percent of the total from 5 percent now after sanctions
forced Japanese refiners to cut purchases, it said.
Earlier this month, Daishiro Yamagiwa, vice-minister of Japan's
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), visited Tehran and
met top government officials, accompanied by executives from the
oil, gas and other industries.
Yamagiwa did not discuss an investment agreement, Shigetoshi
Ikeyama, a director in METI's Middle East and Africa division, said
when contacted by Reuters about the Nikkei report.
 "Knowing that Japanese companies are interested in boosting economic
ties in future, state minister Yamagiwa had general discussions on
streamlining the environment for that, but did not discuss an
investment pact in particular," Ikeyama said, adding that the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs would take the lead on any discussions
on specific agreements.
"Another reason for Yamagiwa's visit was to avoid being beaten by
European and U.S. companies," Ikeyama said.
Officials at the foreign ministry were not immediately available for
comment.
Inpex Corp <1605.T>, Japan's biggest energy explorer, JGC Corp
<1963.T>, an engineering company, and trading houses Mitsubishi Corp
<8058.T>, Mitsui & Co <8031.T> and Itochu Corp <8001.T> joined
Yamagiwa on the visit, the Nikkei said.
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A spokesman at Inpex, which in 2010 was forced to give up a stake in
Iran's Azadegan oil field because of the sanctions, confirmed some
of its officials had accompanied Yamagiwa and said the explorer was
monitoring the situation.
Itochu and JGC also confirmed they were in the delegation but Mitsui
did not respond immediately to a query on the matter. A Mitsubishi
official had said earlier that it planned to send an official along
with Yamagiwa.
Senior government ministers from Italy, France, Germany and Serbia
have been among those making the trek since the July 14 accord,
which raised the prospect of banking and trade sanctions on Iran
being lifted, possibly by the end of this year.
Last month Iran outlined plans to rebuild its main industries and
trade relations following the nuclear agreement with world powers,
saying it was targeting oil and gas projects worth $185 billion by
2020.
(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori and Kiyoshi Takenaka; Writing by Aaron
Sheldrick; Editing by Alan Raybould)
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