Japan could be next terror target

Tokyo has asked railway, bus and airline operators to boost their vigilance since Thursday's bombings, although experts say militants would have a tougher time infiltrating largely homogeneous Japan than multicultural London.

"In Japan, there would be huge casualties if a Shinkansen bullet train, subway line or airport were targeted by terrorists in urban areas," Japan's top-selling daily Yomiuri Shimbun said in an editorial Saturday.

"The government needs to take more effective preventive measures as soon as possible by boosting international sharing of information and reinforcing surveillance systems," the daily said.

In the wake of the bombings on London's transport system that killed at least 50 people and injured some 700, the Tokyo Metro, which is used by 5.69 million passengers a day, said it would increase patrols and remove most remaining dustbins, which could be used as cover for planted bombs.