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(Mainichi News reporting now): Undersecretary Kelly of State Dept. met with the senior Japanese government on 6 October, on his swing through Tokyo from Pyongyang where he had his talks on 4 October, and the exchange of photos and provocative North Korean admissions and threats occured.

He met with Fukuda, Chief Cabinet Secretary, and told them about the North Korean nuke development. But, he also urged them to keep quiet and say nothing publicly. They (Japan) then kept a cool face for the last week.

Further, Bush apparantly told Japanese PM Koizumi at their summit meeting on 17 September.

Some provocative voices are wondering what in fact North Korea said to the American side, if they just did not deny, or they specifically admitted to it. Also, they question the timing; was it done just now to put the brakes on North Korea-Japan normalization talks that were speeding up? They claim certain 'factions' or 'voices' within the US government put this out there, because they viewed the visit of kidnapped Japanese to Tokyo as somehow speeding up Japan's warm overture to North Korea, and wanted to make sure they did not go to far and to confirm the defense relationship and structure.

...because they viewed the visit of kidnapped Japanese to Tokyo as somehow speeding up Japan's warm overture to North Korea...

don't know, but from what I read, the visit to Tokyo enraged the Japanese further, not the other way.