Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito spoke of Japan's reaction to the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster to Angela Merkel during his visit to Berlin on Thursday, aides to the German chancellor said, according to dpa. There was no news conference after the conversation at Merkel's office, the high point of Naruhito's four-day visit to commemorate 150 years of Japanese-German diplomatic relations. The March radioactivity release in Japan changed Germany's political landscape, converting Merkel - a physicist who had been a long-time supporter of nuclear energy - into a dedicated opponent. She is pushing through a bill to close all nuclear power plants by 2022, settling one of Germany's most sensitive political divisions. The aides said the 51-year-old prince, son of Emperor Akihito, told Merkel about the effects on Japan of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the failure of the Fukushima Dai-ichi power station. They also discussed ways the two nations could cooperate. Naruhito is set to end his visit Friday after a look at one of Berlin's top museums. He only rarely travels and Germany was gratified that he went ahead with the trip despite the crisis at home, diplomats said.
