The FINANCIAL -- According to RIA Novosti, U.S. President Barack Obama will start his visit to Japan a day late to allow him to attend a memorial ceremony for the victims of Thursday's shooting at the Fort Hood military base, Japanese media said.

Washington asked Tokyo to rearrange the schedule for Obama's two-day visit so that the president could pay his respects to the 13 people killed when Major Nidal Malik Hasan went on a shooting rampage at the Texan military base.

Obama was initially due to arrive in Japan on November 12 for talks with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and a meeting with Emperor Akihito. He will now arrive on November 14.

A date has yet to be set for the memorial.

"When a service is scheduled the president will attend," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.

The attack by military psychiatrist Hasan, 39, has raised fears of a backlash against Muslims in the U.S. after it was revealed that the gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar" during his assault.

Hasan, who is in hospital after being shot a number of times, was thought to have been unhappy about an impending deployment to Afghanistan.

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