Australia's foreign minister Stephen Smith will discuss Japan's stance on whaling when he visits the country later this week.

Australia has been critical of Japan's whaling in the southern Ocean.

Prime minister Kevin Rudd has been criticised for not paying enough attention to Australia's relationship with Japan.

Mr Smith says the prime minister is planning two meetings with Japanese leaders.

"They key point is that Mr Rudd always made it clear that he would have two trips to Japan this year," he said.

"One (is) coming up in the middle of June, in less than a month or in a month's time, and one associated with the G-8 which is the first time to my knowledge that an Australian prime minister has been invited to attend a G-8 as an observer country."

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