North Korea may be preparing to make contact with Tokyo after Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said he was willing to hold a summit “without conditions” with its leader Kim Jong-un, according to media reports.

In an apparent shift in position for Japan, Mr Abe said that he is ready to meet the North Korean leader in a move that would aim to bring to an end years of mistrust between the two countries.

Mr Abe is likely to be hoping that such a summit would pave the way for Japan to play a more critical role in international discussions relating to North Korea’s denuclearisation.

Japan is the only regional power involved in North Korea’s nuclear crisis not to have yet met Mr Kim in person. In recent months, the North Korean leader has held face-to-face meetings with the presidents of China, Russia and South Korea as well as US president Donald Trump during two high-profile summits.

Pyongyang – which fired projectiles into the Sea of Japan late last week - reportedly appreciates the benefits of speaking to Mr Abe, due to his close relationship with Mr Trump, according to sources cited by Kyodo news agency.