The United States has asked that President Barack Obama's visit to Japan be pushed back from next Thursday to Friday and Japan is considering accepting the request, a source close to Japan's Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Obama, who originally planned to visit Nov. 12 and 13, asked for the schedule change to attend a ceremony for the victims of a recent shooting rampage at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, according to the source.

A meeting on Friday between Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will not change, the source said.

Hatoyama told reporters later in the day that the schedule change was probably inevitable under the circumstances.

"I will make the utmost efforts" to avoid possible negative effects on the bilateral meeting from the schedule change, he said, adding that he understands that Obama means to as well.

Under the original plan, Obama was to arrive in Japan and attend a dinner on Thursday and hold the meeting with Hatoyama on Friday before leaving for Singapore to attend a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.