11/7/2009 7:05 AM  ET

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(RTTNews) -  U.S. President Barack Obama's Japan visit has been postponed by one day to allow him to attend a memorial ceremony for the victims of Thursday's shooting at the Fort Hood military base.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who was supposed to have talks with Obama during his two-day visit beginning November 12, explained Saturday about the change in the schedule.

Obama would now be arriving Japan Friday and stay until Saturday, on his first trip to that country.
This must be a difficult time for him, following the shooting," Hatoyama told reporters.

Washington asked Tokyo to rearrange the schedule for Obama's two-day visit so that the president could pay his respects to the 13 people killed when Major Nidal Malik Hasan went on a shooting rampage at the Texan military base earlier this week.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president will attend the funeral service of the troops, the date for which is yet to be scheduled.

by RTT Staff Writer

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