On topic: Japan's Kishida bolsters U.S. alliance with Washington trip

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida traveled to Washington last week for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, the first state-level visit to America by a leader from the East Asian nation in nearly a decade.

Kishida was especially keen to address Congress, aides say, trying to show both sides of the aisle that Japan is ready to step up as a global partner in upholding the international order. He also engaged in historic trilateral talks with the U.S. and the Philippines, as well as attending a state dinner featuring billionaires and pop stars. Here's a selection of stories on the four-day trip to Washington.

Ahead of a summit among the U.S., Japan and the Philippines on Thursday, a senior U.S. official made clear to reporters that the meeting was a direct response to China's coercion in the South China Sea. At the summit, Biden said that U.S. "defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad." Read more.

Kishida said in an exclusive interview with Nikkei earlier this month that the world is entering a "new phase," noting that Japan needs to show a bigger presence and "take greater responsibility" in providing options for countries in Southeast Asia such as the Philippines. Japan, the U.S. and the Philippines will work together in areas like semiconductors, digitalization, communication networks, clean energy and critical minerals, he said. Read more.

In a speech delivered in English on Thursday, Kishida told U.S. legislators that although "our world is at history's turning point" amid challenges from Russia, China and North Korea, the U.S. doesn't have to maintain the international order on its own. "As the United States' closest friend, tomodachi, the people of Japan are with you, side by side, to