The Financial Times notes that the Japanese are infinitely more cautious than the hard-charging Chinese, which may leave the Japanese at the back of the pack.

"With the Tokyo government behind them, Japanese trading companies and manufacturers are creeping rather than sweeping into Africa as they cautiously pursue some of the same goals as China, India and Brazil: capturing oil, minerals and markets."

Africa, although more stable than it was a decade ago, remains highly volatile and there has been a marked shift toward more authoritarian governance, particularly in West and Central Africa. This could present difficulties for the Japanese.

Still, the heir to the Japanese throne, Prince Naruhito, sought to compensate for Tokyo's late start in the scramble for Africa's riches by making a one-week tour of sub-Saharan Africa in March.

In 2008, Tokyo decided to double its development aid to Africa and to support Japan companies to double their investment to $3.4 billion by 2012.

So far this hasn't resulted in any of the big-ticket deals the Chinese have been scooping up in West and Central Africa, with its vast oil and mineral deposits.

But Toyota Tsusho, the auto giant's trading arm, has expressed interest in a planned $1.5 billion oil pipeline from southern Sudan to the Kenyan coast. The Chinese, with major holdings in the Sudanese oil fields, also want to access to the Indian Ocean coast.

Southern Sudan votes in a referendum on independence from the northern Khartoum regime in 2011 and that's expected to be overwhelmingly in favor of separation.

But since the current pipelines from the oil fields all run north to government-controlled territory, the Chinese want to ensure that they have an independent outlet to the sea.

The Chinese, who are dealing with some unsavory regimes across Africa, appear far more experienced and adept at handling those kinds of situations than the Japanese.

"Questions still linger about whether Japan has the will to achieve its goals in a region where business conditions do not always play to the strengths of its bureaucrats or executives," the Financial Times observed.

But, it added, "having followed a model of engagement not dissimilar to the West for many years, Japan is reorienting its strategy to become more competitive and aid is getting less emphasis than before as attention turns to the private sector …

"There is no question of Japan matching China's level of finance for business ventures in Africa, nor Beijing's hand-in-glove coordination of the state and large companies," the Financial Times noted.

But it stressed that, even at this late date, Tokyo's focus remains on its "primary goal: securing oil and other minerals."

Brazil, a onetime backwater former Portuguese colony that is now Latin America's largest economy, appears to be more robust in its efforts to get its hands on Africa's wealth.

Mozambique, another former Portuguese colony, this time in East Africa, is Brasilia's primary target for now.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has visited Africa six times since he took office in 2003. He's also greatly expanded Brazil's embassy network across the continent.

Brazil's mining company, Vale, is about to start operations in Tete in central Mozambique, which sits atop some of the planet's largest coal deposits.

Vale estimates the project, which could transform Mozambique's aid-dependent economy, will need investment of $1.3 billion. But that could ultimately swell to several times that amount.

Vale is working with Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to develop the reserves, build a power station as well as rail and port facilities to export the coal.

In early 2010, Brazilian steelmaker CSN bought 16.3 percent of Riversdale, an Australian mining concern, in which India's Tata Steel has a big stake. This company too plans multimillion-dollar investment in the Tete region.

Odebrecht has become the largest private sector employer in the west African state of Angola, another former Portuguese colony and currently the top oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa.

Petrobras, Brazil's state-controlled oil company, is also active there, drilling in the Atlantic deep off the coast.

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