Japan to accept earthquake relief from US only: Report

Japan plans to accept a US relief team but no aid from other regions or countries for now

Japan plans to accept a US relief team but no aid from other regions or countries for now, the daily Nikkei reported on Friday, four days after an earthquake killed 92 people and forced the evacuation of thousands in the country's west.

The US and Japan are discussing how and when the US Forces would coordinate with Japan's Self-Defence Forces on disaster relief efforts in and around the Noto peninsula, the Nikkei report said.

"We are not accepting any personnel or material aid at the moment given the situation on the ground and the efforts that would be required to receive them," Japan's top spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Friday.

He added that he would not comment on what discussions have taken place with the US.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said there were offers for help and messages of condolence from governments including Taiwan and China.

The full extent of casualties and damage from the earthquake that struck on New Year's Day remains unclear, with rescue teams struggling to reach hard-hit areas due to severed roads and damaged infrastructure.

But with more than 200 people still unaccounted for, the disaster is likely the deadliest since 2016 and could be the worst since a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the east coast of Japan in 2011.