Its leader Shintaro Abe has recently said in a television debate that the hike is notdefinite, but most analysts believe Mr Abe will raise the tax once he is in office.
At the moment he has not made a definite decision but has admitted he regrets the Olympic furore of last year when a newspaper claimed he would prefer to play for Team GB in Brazil.
It is believed Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness are not now seeking to agree a comprehensive strategy for breaking down barriers but instead focussing on definite proposals and projects where they believe they can make real progress.