Japan, which has some 550 troops in Iraq to help rebuild the war-torn nation, is considering sending troops to Afghanistan to take part in a similar mission, a leading daily said on Wednesday.
Japanese naval vessels have been providing logistic support for US-led operations in Afghanistan since November 2001, but the dispatch of ground troops could well meet resistance in a nation that was deeply divided over the Iraqi mission.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, a dispatch of around 100 ground troops to perform humanitarian services such as medical support and transport of daily necessities might take place as early as the summer.
A government source was quoted as saying the mission was being considered as a form of support for the Afghan government ahead of elections scheduled for September.
The paper also said that senior officials at the Foreign Ministry and Defence Ministry had received an unofficial request for the dispatch from the US government.
Foreign Ministry officials were not available for comment.
Japan's non-combat mission in the southern Iraqi city of Samawa is its largest and riskiest deployment since World War Two.
Tokyo has repeatedly insisted it will not withdraw its troops from Samawa despite poor security in Iraq and two incidents of Japanese civilians being taken hostage last month. All the hostages were later freed.
The Japanese public was initially divided over the Iraq mission, but recent polls show a majority of voters now back the dispatch, though the margin varies according to the survey.