Japan's relationship with the US
US Vice-President Joe Biden has arrived in Tokyo to meet Japanese leaders at the start of a week-long trip to Asia.
The visit comes at a tense time in the region over China's newly-declared air defence identification zone.
Both Japan and the US are contesting the expansion of Chinese airspace, which includes a group of disputed islands.
Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports from Tokyo on Japan's foreign policy and the relationship with the US.