Japanese power companies and trading firms are boosting their involvement in offshore wind farms at home and abroad, as part of the push for a carbon-neutral society.

Two firms from Japan are taking part in a wind farm project off Britain's east coast in the North Sea.
It began operating earlier this month. The project is led by German renewable energy company, RWE.

It is one of the world's largest offshore wind farms, capable of generating enough power for about 800,000 households in the UK.

Tokyo-based Electric Power Development, or J-Power, has a 25 percent stake in the project.
Kansai Electric Power from western Japan, holds 16 percent.

The two companies plan to use the knowhow gained, from development to operations and offshore maintenance, to launch domestic projects.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government is planning three offshore wind farms in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country.

The aim is to set up a total of 134 turbines across three areas, and start generating power as early as 2028.