STRONG DEMAND FOR U.S. CORN IN JAPAN -- USDA Japan appears to be relying less on corn from China, Argentina and South Africa and more on supplies from the United States, the U.S. Agriculture Department said. In its World Production and Trade report, the department said in the past seven weeks reported U.S. corn sales of nearly three mln tonnes to Japan are about three times the level during this period last year. Reports of short Argentine supplies and the apparent unwillingness of the Chinese to sell at current world prices may have caused Japanese buyers to turn to the United States for corn supplies, the department said.