Japan govt sees quake damage reaching up to $300 bln -Nikkei

TOKYO, (Reuters) – The Japanese government expects  total damage from a devastating earthquake that hit northeast  Japan this month to reach 15 trillion to 25 trillion yen  ($185-308 billion), the Nikkei newspaper reported today.
Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano will present the estimate to  a meeting of cabinet ministers to be held today, the  Nikkei said, without citing sources.
That will far exceed the 10 trillion yen in damages from the  Kobe earthquake in 1995, the paper said.
The estimate covers damage to roads, homes, factories and  other infrastructure but does not include losses in economic  activity from planned power outages and the nuclear power plant  accident in Fukushima, it said.
The government will use the estimate to map out disaster  relief plans and an emergency budget to fund recovery costs, the  Nikkei said.   ($1 = 81.045 Japanese Yen)