The Obama administration will seek to forge a close relationship with the new Liberal Democratic Party-led government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a U.S. State Department official said.
"We look forward to continuing our close relationship with Japan and its new prime minister and Cabinet," State Department Acting Deputy Spokesman Patrick Ventrell said Wednesday. "Our two countries share many regional and global interests, and we will continue to pursue cooperative and productive ties."
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also congratulated new Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, a Pentagon official said in a statement, adding the U.S.-Japan security alliance "serves as the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific (region)."