France has already said it is virtually certain to be the host of the multi-billion-dollar International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a breakthrough project which aims to emulate the sun's nuclear fusion.

The resolution adopted jointly by business lobby Nippon Keidanren, Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner New Komeito comes ahead of a Group of Eight summit next month that includes Japan and France.

"Now is the time to make a final push. I strongly wish the ITER project will be bought to Japan," Hiroshi Okuda, chairman of Nippon Keidanren, said in front of more than 500 people at an auditorium in Tokyo.

"I hope the wish of so many people to bring ITER will be transmitted to Prime Minister Koizumi," said Okuda, who is also chairman of Japan's biggest company Toyota Motor.

Takeo Hiranuma, former minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, added: "I think it is extremely meaningful for this nuclear facility to be brought to Asia, as such a project has never existed in the region."

The audience showed their support with a storm of applause for the resolution that "the Japanese government should do its best until the last moment to win the bid for ITER project."

But local media have reported that Japan is ready to give up on bringing ITER to the northern village of Rokkasho-mura and is trying to ensure it gets as much as possible for dropping its bid.

The United States and South Korea support Japan's bid for ITER, while China and Russia back the European Union bid to locate the project at Cadarache in France.

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