by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Deputy secretary of defense Ashton Carter is traveling through the region, but Guam isn't on his itinerary. Japan was his first stop on his weeklong trip.

He met with senior vice defense minister Akinori Eto at Yokota Air Base in western tokyo. According to a media release from the Defense Department, the two leaders discussed issues important to the U.S./Japan Alliance, a cornerstone of peace and stability for Japan and across the asia paficic region. The two also talked about the region's security situation, including the threat from North Korea, which last month conducted its third nuclear test.

Other topics included the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, the relocation of Marines to Guam as part of the rebalance to Asia, and the future of the alliance. Carter's next stop is Seoul, and then travel to Manila and to Jakarta in Indonesia before returning to the U.S. on the 21st.