US President Obama is due to arrive in Japan on Wednesday for the start of a week-long tour of Asian countries.
Mr Obama is hoping to reach a deal to open Japan's markets to American products. But China is likely to dominate the agenda, the BBC reports.
Japanese farmers porotest against the TPP trade deal at a rally the day before US President Barack Obama visits. Photo: AFP
The trip comes nearly seven months after Mr Obama cancelled a visit to the region due to a government shutdown.
He will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a private dinner, as well as have bilateral meetings with the South Korean, Malaysian and Philippine leaders.
Mr Obama is expected to balance the need to bolster US ties with each Asian nation while improving communication among them, particularly between South Korea and Japan.
The Asian nations are at odds over disputed islands and historical issues linked to Japan's war history.
Ties between Tokyo and Beijing will also be high on the agenda. Relations are severely strained over a raft of issues, including East China Sea islands that both claim and war-linked resentments.
Japan depends on the US for its security, under a decades-old alliance that dates back to the end of World War II.
