Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will award Japanese athletes who competed in the Athens Olympics and "impressed many people" with letters of appreciation and glass gifts, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Monday.

Koizumi will also present silver photo frames to athletes who placed in the top eight in their events or improved on their own personal bests, Hosoda said.

A ceremony will be held Wednesday, with all 167 athletes scheduled to receive photo frames planning to attend.

Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda will also attend the event, representing the 513-member Japanese team, including managers and coaches, he said.

Separately, the government may honor all of the gold medalists by awarding them the Medal with Purple Ribbon in the fall.