U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd L) and Japan's Emperor Akihito (2nd R) offer toasts to each other during the Japan State Dinner at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, April 24, 2014, in this handout photo released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. REUTERS/Imperial Household Agency of Japan/Handout via Reuters
TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama wrapped up a state visit to Japan on Friday during which he assured America's ally that Washington would come to its defence, but failed to clinch a trade deal key to both his "pivot" to Asia and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic reforms.
Obama and Abe had been seeking to show that the alliance was strong in the face of a rising China. But their success in putting recent strains behind them was partly marred by a failure to reach a deal seen as crucial to a broader regional trade pact.
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