At a time when Tokyo and Washington have much work to do together, new Defense Minister Tomomi Inada's first visit to the U.S. capital went smoothly, despite her reputation as a hardliner.
During her first meeting with her American counterpart, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, the two denounced North Korea, which conducted its fifth nuclear test last week, calling it a violation of United Nations resolutions, according to the Defense Ministry.
The two agreed to work together to counter the "grave threats to the national security of both Japan and the United States."