Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the philanthropic Nippon Foundation and Japan's special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar, arrived in Myanmar on Friday, sources close to the Japanese government said Saturday Kyodo reported.

Sasakawa, who has mediated peace talks between the military and armed ethnic minority groups in Myanmar for many years, may meet the military leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, according to the sources.

This is Sasakawa's first visit to Myanmar since the Feb. 1 military coup that toppled the elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.