Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii said Tuesday he told visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that Japan supports a strong dollar policy by the United States.

During their meeting in Tokyo, Fujii and Geithner discussed the currency issue in general but did not touch on the yuan, Fujii told reporters.

The two financial leaders also agreed on the importance of balanced growth, Fujii said.

Geithner was making his first visit to Japan since taking the Treasury chief's post in January.

Fujii said last week he wanted to discuss global economic issues "in more detail" than when they met bilaterally in Pittsburgh in late September on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit of major developed and emerging countries.

Fujii raised currency issues during the Sept. 24 meeting with Geithner, and the 77-year-old minister's remarks signaling Japan's reluctance to intervene in the foreign exchange market prompted traders to step up buying of the yen.

Geithner's stay in Tokyo through Wednesday precedes President Barack Obama's talks with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Tokyo on Friday night.