The government decided Tuesday to provide ¥9 billion to help Myanmar cope with damage caused by severe flooding and send a monitoring team for the Southeast Asian country's general election in November.
Of the total, ¥4 billion will be disbursed in grant aid to help restore infrastructure such as roads hit by the torrential rain that started in mid-July, Foreign Ministry officials said.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said at a news conference that Japan will extend further assistance worth roughly ¥5 billion in response to a request by Myanmar for help to rebuild schools and other support.
Whether the additional aid will be disbursed as grants or other forms has yet to be decided, the officials said.
The new financial support will be added to ¥325 million in emergency grant aid that Japan has so far extended to Myanmar through international organizations.
As of late August, the official death toll from Myanmar's worst flooding in decades and subsequent landslides had risen to 117 and affected 1.6 million people.
Kishida said the delegation of election monitors will be led by Yohei Sasakawa, Japan's special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar.
The delegation of about 10 members will spend about five days in Myanmar to help monitor the No. 8 election, the officials said.
"We will offer support in making the election a free and fair one," Kishida said.