Japan's agreement with North Korea to restart formal government-to-government talks later this month after an interval of more than a year can be viewed as one of the few diplomatic achievements of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
But the upcoming negotiations with the North, scheduled for March 30 and 31 in Beijing, will be not easy and will require a delicate balancing of Japan's national and foreign interests, especially in light of its close ties with the United States.
Since Abe assumed the prime ministership for the second time in December 2012, Tokyo's relations with Beijing and Seoul have worsened over territorial and historical issues, putting a damper on the bilateral alliance with Washington as well.