The report on North Korea's state news agency KCNA charged that Japan had secretly pursued a nuclear capability while the world's focus was on other countries' arms proliferation.

"Japan's nuclear weaponization has been pushed ahead at the phase of practical implementation, going beyond the stage of discussion," the report said.

"As a result, there are ample conditions for the descendents of Samurais buoyed by fever for reinvasion to have access to nuclear weapons any moment."

Preliminary negotiations take place next week in Beijing aimed at clearing the way for a new round of six-nation discussions on the issue of Pygongyang's alleged nuclear weapons programme.

Two rounds of the talks -- involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States -- have so far failed to narrow differences between the United States and North Korea.

Japan, the only country in the world to have experienced a nuclear attack, has a number of nuclear power stations but is a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

However, the KCNA report added: "It is a serious miscalculation and foolish dream if Japan thinks it can hide truth behind its nuclear issue and achieve its wild ambition for nuclear armament by hyping other's 'nuclear issue'."

Japan and North Korea last week renewed talks over the kidnapping of Japanese citizens by the Stalinist state in the 1970s and 1980s.

Tokyo has been pushing Pyongyang to allow the relatives of five returned Japanese abductees to settle in Japan.

WAR.WIRE