The Obama administration expects a "strong alliance" with a new Japanese government, said the White House on Sunday, following the centre-left Democrat Party of Japan predicted victory over the ruling Liberty Democratic Party in the election for lower house of parliament.
"We are confident that the strong US-Japan Alliance and the close partnership between our two countries will continue to flourish under the leadership of the next government in Tokyo," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
"President Obama looks forward to working closely with the new Japanese prime minister on a broad range of global, regional and bilateral issues," said the spokesman.