Japan PM to visit Canada, US

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will start Monday a five-day trip to Canada and the United States to hold talks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and attend a UN General Assembly meeting to pledge Tokyo's humanitarian support in the unfolding Syrian crisis. Outside the General Assembly, Abe is likely to seize on the opportunity to talk about his achievements -- favorable effects on the economy from his "Abenomics" policy package, and what he aims to achieve by reviewing Japan's defense posture to respond to security threats, according to Japan's (Kyodo) News Agency. On the first leg of the tour in Canada, Abe will seek to bolster cooperation with his counterpart Harper, with their primary focus on the ongoing negotiations for the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, and exports of shale gas from Canada to resource-thirsty Japan, government officials said.