Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to Japan on Sunday after a four-day trip that took him to Russia and Britain for talks with those countries leaders.
In a step toward concluding a post-World War II peace treaty, Abe agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday to send a group of experts to a series of islands controlled by Russia but claimed by Japan in a bid to realize a plan for joint economic activities there. The mission could come as soon as next month.
On his first visit to Britain since last year's vote to leave the European Union, Abe and Prime Minister Theresa May affirmed Friday their continued commitment to free trade.
While Abe was in London on Saturday, North Korea conducted its latest ballistic missile test, further raising tensions in the region.
At a news conference in London, he condemned the latest launch as "intolerable" and said the international community must come together to increase pressure on Pyongyang.