Koizumi's government plane left Tokyo's Haneda airport at around 12:20 pm (0320 GMT), an AFP journalist at the airport said.

He is to arrive in Berlin alter Sunday on the eve of a meeting with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the Japanese government said.

The premier will fly to Warsaw on Tuesday to hold talks with Polish counterpart Leszek Miller.

On the final leg of his week-long trip, Koizumi is to visit the Czech Republic to meet Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla and President Vaclav Klaus in Prague on Thursday.

In talks expected to range from economic issues to the six-way talks in Beijing set for August 27-29 over the North Korean nuclear crisis, Koizumi is also expected to address domestic political issues with travelling reporters.

Koizumi faces reelection as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on September 20, a vote that is crucial for him to continue as premier.

He will address domestic politics in an August 20 press conference with travelling reporters, Hidenao Nakagawa, chairman of the LDP's parliamentary Diet Affairs Committee, said on a TV Asahi talk show.

Koizumi is to return to Tokyo on August 23.

WAR.WIRE