Sir Keir Starmer has invited Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to visit the UK following talks in Tokyo, saying the relationship between the countries was the "strongest" it has been "in decades".
The prime minister arrived in Japan after his four-day trip to China, in which he attempted to reboot the UK's relationship with Beijing.
The leaders of UK and Japan said they had discussed their "joint values" and set out plans to strengthen trade and security ties, including boosting defence and partnerships across the Indo-Pacific region.
Any UK visit will depend on the results of snap elections on February 8, with Takaichi's Liberal Democrat party seeking a return to power.
But the meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo comes at a tense moment for the region, following controversial comments from Takaichi suggesting that Japan could be drawn into conflict between China and Taiwan.
