TOKYO — Singer Harry Belafonte plans to add Japanese folk music to his repertoire of calypso, jazz and spirituals.

Belafonte arrived at Tokyo International Airport with his wife and son Sunday for a concert tour of two Japanese cities.

"We have plans to find as much (Japanese) material as possible and take it home to process and record," he told newsmen. "This tour was designed to see and hear as much as possible."

Belafonte plans to perform July 14-18 at Sankei Hall in Tokyo and July 20-21 at Mainichi Hall in Osaka.

Asked if he plans to sing Japanese songs at either of the two concerts, Belafonte said: "I don't know whether I can learn them fast enough. But I want new music. We'll look all over (Japan), wherever we can find it."

The singer was mobbed by a crowd of fans and newsmen as he received bouquets of flowers from five kimono-clad girls from Radio Tokyo.

Belafonte was asked if he preferred jazz over other forms of music.

"Like all folk music I care for," he said, "jazz is a predominant element." He called the late saxophonist Charlie Parker a "great influence" on him as an artist.

Belafonte, who during a previous European tour made many remarks about the racial problem in the U.S., declined to discuss it Sunday.

"I come to countries as an artist, not a politician. Newspapermen at that time (1958) asked me about it and Little Rock was going on, so I talked quite a bit about it. I prefer not to now. It's not my pet subject."

Belafonte sail he plans to make two films later this year with actor Sidney Poitier. One will be about the Westward movement of freed slaves after the Civil Wax and the other about the Moorish invasion of Spain many centuries ago.

He said he and his wife are "great admirers" of Japanese films and silk screen paintings and had looked forward to visiting Japan for a long time.

The singer was asked if music can bring peoples of the world together.

"Politicians, scientists and many things may fail," Belafonte replied, "but music can always bring people together."

He said he'll visit the Soviet Union "strictly as a tourist" about the end of August and plans to visit the Philippines, India, Israel and the Scandinavian countries before flying home.