At a U.N. General Assembly dominated by debate over how to tackle the threat from North Korea, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was successful in securing support — particularly from U.S. President Donald Trump — for Japan's stance of "pressure, not dialogue," analysts say.
Trump's explicit mention in his speech of the North's abduction of Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s was a major demonstration of the closeness between the two leaders.
But while the united front will likely give Abe a boost at home as he prepares to call a snap election, divisions in the international community on what to do about North Korea are likely to be exposed again soon by Pyongyang's next moves.