In May, Japan's ambassador to the United States said the US-led military alliance was planning a Tokyo office, the first in Asia, to ease regional consultations, but French President Emmanuel Macron objected to the plan.

The Nikkei said NATO would deepen ties with its four major partners in the Pacific, preparing two-way co-operation documents with each, to form a basis for collaboration on issues such as cybersecurity and space.

On a visit to Japan in January, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg pledged with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to strengthen ties in the face of historic security challenges, citing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and China's rising military power.