Japanese officials also see the visit as a heaven-sent opportunity for Obuchi to quickly turn around the image of him as an old guard "homespun" politician without the skills needed to drag Japan out of its worst recession since World War II.

In a lightning 12-hour visit to an Asean Regional Forum (ARF) meeting, Obuchi has scheduled meetings with US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, Russian foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov and Chinese foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan.

The meeting brings together the nine members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) -- Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam -- plus Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, NewZealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.

Obuchi, who was scheduled to attend the meeting from Sunday to next Thursday in his role as foreign minister, instead will arrive in Manila at lunch and leave just 12 hours later. Japanese officials said Obuchi decided to go ahead with the trip, even though he is now nominally prime minister, because it was an opportunity that could not be missed so early in his leadership. "We know that each country at the meeting is going to want to hear what Obuchi has to say as Japan's new leader about the future of our diplomatic and economic policies," a senior official said. "That is what each country is expecting him to do," he said.

The officials believe portrayals of Obuchi as a "cold pizza" man at home and abroad are bitterly unfair and do not take into account his long experience in politics and his achievements in improving ties with China and Russia since becoming foreign minister last September.

"We know that he will do what needs to be done," the seniorofficial said. Obuchi, 61, was chosen last Friday by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to be prime minister at a time of economic malaise in Japan that has brought urgent global demands for swift action.

In a sign of the poor press Obuchi has received, the prestigious financial daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun said on Saturday Obuchi was a "mediocre" politician who must make a desperate effort to break down conventional images of him and change into a "powerful leader". It said Obuchi needed to improve his speaking skills and become less vague in his comments.

"Political leaders must give a clear message to voters, to the market and to foreign countries. Never in the past have Japanese leaders been so requested to fulfil their accountabilities," the newspaper said. Obuchi's key meeting is likely to be with Albright who on her way to the Manila meeting said Japan was central to efforts to fix Asia's financial woes and Tokyo needed to take swift and bold action. Asian foreign ministers already gathered inManila have given a warm welcome to Obuchi's elevation but made clear they are looking to him for new action from Japan in solving the region's financial crisis. "I think he is up to the task," Thai foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan said. "He has not only to solve the problems of Japan which is facing a lot, but also to be mindful of the fact that other Southeast Asian and Asian countries are expecting leadership of Japan," Surin said.