PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
Kim Jong-il's son and heir-apparent greeted mourners in Pyongyang where the late North Korean leader is lying in state.
Kim, who died at the weekend from a heart attack, is lying in a glass-topped casket surrounded by the Kimjongilia flowers named after him.
On Wednesday Chinese premier Wen Jiabao visited North Korea's embassy in Beijing to offer his condolences.
It's a clear sign of China's determination to protect its ties with Pyongyang.
The Toyko headquarters of the General Association of Korean Residents has opened its gates for the first time for foreigners to pay their respects.
Relations between North Korea and Japan are not easy because of several issues.
In Japan there's still anger over the abduction of its citizens by North Korean agents decades ago.
SOUNDBITE: Former Japanese lawmaker, Shinya Totsuka, saying (Japanese):
"I hope that as soon as possible North Korea will, with Japan, deal with all the current issues including the abductees situation and I am praying that things will go back to normal for the peace and security of the North Korean people.''
Tourists visiting the South Korean side of the Demilitarised Zone that separates the two Koreas also hoped for a more open North Korea.
SOUNDBITE: South Korean tourist Oh Jae-nam saying (Korean):
"The important thing is that Kim Jong-un should have the right mind to open up society, abandon communism, and lead the country to democracy."
SOUNDBITE: Chinese tourist Zhang Feng saying (Mandarin):
"I heard his son was educated in Switzerland so I expect him to have an open mind and better understanding of the world. So I hope this could become a turning point for the two Koreas, and hope they can seize the opportunity to improve their relations and become reconciled."
Cuba has begun three days of mourning for Kim.
The two nations have maintained diplomacy throughout Kim's rule and represent two of the world's five communist governments.
Paul Chapman, Reuters
