With concerns growing over China's military buildup and strains on the Korean Peninsula, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda became the country's first leader to formally meet U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House since the Democratic Party of Japan swept to power in 2009.
Noda, who arrived in Washington Sunday, is visiting at a time when the United States hopes to bolster its alliance with Japan to ensure stability in the Asia-Pacific region. This has been seen as a good chance for Noda to build up a strong and productive friendship with Obama.
But there is skepticism about whether Noda was able to earn Obama's trust as a partner who can fulfill Washington's expectations as the prime minister is facing an uphill battle at home over his key policy goals, including a sales tax hike and Japan's entry into talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement.