Japanese Emperor Akihito on Tuesday appealed for the release of three Japanese civilians taken hostage in Iraq by an armed group.  

"I am deeply concerned and wish that they would be immediately and safely released," the emperor was quoted by Kyodo News as saying in the meeting with US Vice President Dick Cheney at the Imperial Palace, where Cheney was paying a courtesy call.

The emperor also touched on the presence of Japanese troops in Iraq, saying, "The Self-Defense Forces are dispatched for reconstruction assistance such as supplying water and medical services."

Cheney arrived in Tokyo last Saturday for a four-day visit to Japan. He is scheduled to leave Japan late Tuesday afternoon for China. China and the Republic of Korea are next two legs of his week-long Asian tour.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2004)