Argentine Football Association spokesman Jose Luis Meiszner said Japan had been given 10 days to assessment their initial decision to focus on the country's recovery from last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
"There is a time limit of 10 days," Copa America organising committee chief Meiszner said.
"Nothing has been advanced. We met, we talked and we set a deadline to see if Japan gets to the Copa America," he said behind a meeting between AFA president Julio Grondona and his Japanese matching part Junji Ogura.
Ogura, whose country had acknowledged an invitation to play in the tournament for the second time, told South American Football Confederation president Nicolas Leoz at their Asuncion headquarters on Monday that Japan wanted to withdraw.
Nearly 29,000 people are dead or missing and thousands have been left homeless as a result of the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and huge tsunami that hit Japan's northeast coast. Sports plans are in chaos including the J-League.
Japan played as a guest team at the 1999 Copa in Paraguay, were drawn in Group A with Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia.
World champions Spain said earlier on Tuesday they had been invited to fill the slit left by Japan in the 12-team tournament while another option was a CONCACAF country filling in.
Costa Rica has played in the tournament three times and is coached by Argentine Ricardo La Volpe is measured favourites to come in.
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