Google Inc said it began selling its Nexus 7 tablet in Japan on Tuesday, with a starting price of 19,800 yen ($250).

Sales of the 7-inch tablet started on the Google Play website on Tuesday and will be available in physical stores from October 2, the world's No.1 search engine said.

By taking a greater role in the tablet arena, Google hopes to ensure that its online services remain at the forefront for consumers, as tablets increasingly becoming gateways to the Web and Web-based content such as movies and music.

($1 = 77.8750 Japanese yen)

(Reporting by James Topham; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)