Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday he does not expect a change in the U.S.-Japanese relationship regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. "Regardless of which candidate secures a victory, I think the basic recognition about the importance of the Japan-U.S. friendship and the Japan-U.S. alliance will not change," Koizumi told reporters in Tokyo. Koizumi has established a close personal relationship with U.S. President George W. Bush and remained a strong supporter of Washington's Iraq policies despite opposition by the Japanese public.
