Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's trip to Washington was interpreted by some political analysts as confirmation that his second stint at the government helm has gotten off to a strong start.
On Friday, Abe agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama to bolster the bilateral security alliance, given the deteriorating security environment in East Asia amid North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions and China's increasingly abrasive tone.
More importantly, Abe boosted his drive to kick-start the economy by securing the crucial U.S. concession that the prior abolition of all import tariffs is not a prerequisite to Japan's entry to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations.