Secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who today began a week-long trip to Asia, has said the US-Japan alliance remains a cornerstone of regional security.
Ms Clinton, who is on her first official trip as secretary of state, described the US-Japan alliance as "vitally important."
"Its foundation has been and always will be a commitment to our shared security and prosperity, but we also know that we have to work together to address the global financial crisis, which is affecting all of us," she said at an airport arrival ceremony.
"By strengthening our historic Asian alliances, starting right here in Japan, and forging new partnerships with emerging nations, we can begin together to build networks around the world to help us solve problems that none of us can solve alone."
Ms Clinton's visit comes as Japan seeks reassurance that it remains Washington's closest ally and faces pressure to take a bigger global role.
It also coincides with reports that North Korea has made preparations for a long-range missile test. Searching for a way to end Pyongyang's nuclear programme is likely to be one of the main topics on Clinton's trip, which also takes her to Indonesia, South Korea and China.
The secretary of state, during her three-day stay in Tokyo, will meet the families of Japanese citizens who were abducted decades ago by North Korean agents.
The meeting, a gesture to the faltering government of Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, follows dismay in Japan after Washington removed North Korea from a US terrorism blacklist without settling the abductee issue.
While in Japan, Ms Clinton will also address issues including climate change, Afghanistan, Pakistan and nuclear proliferation, she said.
She will meet Mr Aso and foreign minister Hirofumi Nakasone, as well as the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, Ichiro Ozawa, a step that could fan anxiety in Mr Aso's fragile government, now struggling with a plummeting support rate and a deepening recession.
Ms Clinton will head to Jakarta on Wednesday, then Seoul and Beijing.
Reuters