The Japan Times:

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi has said that the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance “has reached an unprecedented level” due to “an increasingly harsh national security environment.”

In an interview, Kishi, who took office on Sept. 16 under the administration of new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, said that he wants to “further boost the alliance’s deterrence and response capabilities,” and that he will work with the United States on introducing in Japan a missile defense system in place of the scrapped plan to deploy Aegis Ashore land-based interceptors.

“I would like to continue cooperating closely with the United States to consider a plan to deploy (Aegis Ashore) components to a mobile maritime platform,” he said. “We need opportunities to directly speak with U.S. Department of Defense officials, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper.” He also revealed a plan to visit the United States for such talks…

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