Nov. 20 - Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs Robert D. Hormats visited Tokyo Nov. 16-17 for consultations with Japanese government officials. On Nov. 16, he spoke to students at Waseda University, noting that "we in the United States see Japan as a partner in dealing with almost all of the big global issues that the world faces - environmental issues, energy issues, financial issues, trade issues, dealing with problems like the H1N1 virus, other kinds of global health issues, helping developing countries to overcome poverty." [Full remarks]

Nov. 16 - On the second day of his visit to Japan, President Barack Obama gave a speech at Suntory Hall on the future of U.S. leadership in the Asia Pacific region. The President began his remarks by praising the famous hospitality of Japan and speaking of his childhood memories of visiting the country. He made clear that for all of the diverse countries and cultures in the region, "our efforts in the Asia Pacific will be rooted, in no small measure, through an enduring and revitalized alliance between the United States and Japan."

Nov. 16 - On the first stop of his trip to Asia, President Barack Obama arrived in Tokyo on November 13 and met with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. Following their meeting, the two leaders held a joint press conference about issues including climate change, nuclear disarmament, and Afghanistan. President Obama told the media, "I began my trip here in Tokyo because the alliance between the United States and Japan is a foundation for security and prosperity - not just for our two countries but for the Asia Pacific region."

• Joint Press Conference remarks and video
• United States-Japan Joint Statement toward a World without Nuclear Weapons
• U.S.-Japan Joint Message on Climate Change Negotiations
• Trip preview video by Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes
• Nov. 11 Statement on the Contributions by the Government of Japan to Afghanistan and Pakistan

Nov. 12 - The Fall 2009 issue of the Embassy's "American View" magazine, in celebration of the upcoming International Education Week focuses on education, an area of special interest to our guest editor, Ambassador John V. Roos. The issue includes President Obama's inspiring remarks to American schoolchildren on each student's responsibility for setting and working towards his or her own educational goals, advice from an expert on teaching English as a second language, views of two professional Japanese-English interpreters on their profession, and a pair of articles on how the English language is constantly evolving.

Nov. 6 - Kurt M. Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, made remarks to the media following meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo on November 5, stating, "Ambassador Roos and myself this morning had excellent discussions with Washington - with the White House - and we passed on to our Japanese colleagues the very best wishes from the President and the Secretary of State. The President is very much looking forward to his visit to Japan next week, and we went through what we hope to accomplish during this historic visit."

Nov. 6 - In a November 3 speech to the sixth Forum for the Future in Marrakech, Morocco, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to broad engagement with Muslim communities around the world and the equally strong U.S. commitment to comprehensive peace in the Middle East. [Video]

Nov. 6 - On November 3, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke issued a statement noting that the President's October 23 declaration regarding H1N1 flu was "a precautionary measure to ensure that, if needed, medical treatment facilities in the U.S. will have the tools they need to deal with 2009 H1N1 influenza as efficiently as possible," and continuing: "Without the proper context, I know the declaration may have been a cause for concern among some abroad who had been planning travel to the U.S. But let me be very clear: The measure does not represent any change in status of the H1N1 influenza in our country. It was instead an important procedural tactic to help the government and U.S. medical facilities better handle the illness in the future."

Nov. 4 - Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation John R. Byerly led a U.S. delegation to Tokyo October 26-30 for civil aviation negotiations with Japan. While in Tokyo, he briefed the press on the U.S. government's outlook on civil aviation and the prospects for an Open Skies agreement with Japan.

Nov. 4 - Thomas Paul D'Agostino, Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Under Secretary for Nuclear Security at the U.S. Department of Energy, traveled to Japan to deliver remarks at the International Meeting on Next Generation Safeguards held October 26-28 in Ibaraki Prefecture. NNSA is a semi-autonomous part of the U.S. Department of Energy that is responsible for implementing many of President Obama's key nuclear nonproliferation objectives and for maintaining the safety, security and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing.

Nov. 4 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was welcomed to Tokyo by his Japanese counterpart, Gen. Ryoichi Oriki on October 23. Adm. Mullen paid calls on senior Japanese government officials during a five-day Asia trip to Japan and South Korea.

• "Chairman Calls U.S.-Japan Relationship 'Vital'" by American Forces Press Service