Japan's commitment to overseas giving  Your front-page article
(Two months on, Japan starts £143bn recovery, 12 May) is right
to highlight the international community's tremendous compassion
and generosity in supporting the victims of Japan's earthquake.
The reported $2.2bn received by the Japanese Red Cross is
testament to that.  You also point out that the government of
Japan has consistently been one of the largest aid donors in the
world. While it is true that the task of rebuilding and
rehabilitating disaster-affected regions is a momentous one
which demands significant resources, Japan's government is
taking every step to ensure its own aid commitment to the
world's most vulnerable will be only minimally affected. On 1
May, the Japanese foreign minister expressed his firm
determination to continue to implement the international
commitments made by Japan, including pledges made to Africa.  It
has now been confirmed that there will be no reduction in
Japan's bilateral aid commitments. And, while a reducti