Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sent a message to U.S. President George W. Bush late Tuesday expressing shock over what appeared to be coordinated terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
"I am shocked to hear the news about the tragic incidents at the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon. I share your anger over what appears to be acts of terrorism," Koizumi said in the statement.
"Representing the Japanese government and the Japanese people, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and families of the victims," he said.
Two aircraft slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York on Tuesday morning local time. The Pentagon and several other federal buildings in Washington were also attacked.