Calling rising oil and food costs "intolerable," trade minister Akira Amari on Monday urged major energy-consuming nations to cut use and oil-producing countries to increase production capacity.

"Recent oil prices are at an extraordinarily high level," Amari told reporters at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ahead of a meeting of Group of Eight energy ministers slated for this weekend in Aomori.

China, India and South Korea, which with the G8 nations account for about two-thirds of the world's energy consumption, are also scheduled to participate in the summit.