Jackson spoke last month at the funeral of James Brown

In a phone call to the Associated Press news agency, Jackson agreed to answer one question on his wellbeing, saying: "I'm fine, thank you."

He then read a statement about the March trip to Japan where he is due to meet fans who buy tickets to events.

Jackson has lived outside the US since being cleared of child molestation.

In his statement, the star said: "I love Japan. It is one of my favourite places in the entire world.

"My friends and fans in Japan have been so supportive of me and my family for many, many years."

He added: "My fans in Japan helped me achieve historic milestones in the music industry."

Party plans

The singer is due to attend two ticketed events in Tokyo, but is not obliged to perform.

Three hundred tickets costing up to 400,000 yen (�1,700) are available to a "platinum VIP party" on 8 March.

Jackson's role at the party is simply to sit down to dinner with guests while listening to his recorded music.

Top-priced tickets will enable guests to meet the star for up to one minute, while other guests will receive signed photos.

Some 2,500 people will be able to attend a "fan appreciation event" the following day, with tickets costing 15,000 yen (�63).

They are due to watch dancers perform to Jackson songs, while the singer himself watches from a separate area.

Jackson last month attended the funeral of soul star James Brown in Augusta, Georgia, in the US.

In November last year, he appeared on stage at the World Music Awards ceremony at London's Earls Court.

But he disappointed fans by singing just a few lines of We Are The World, claiming it had been a "misunderstanding" that he would sing the whole of his hit Thriller.