Photo/Illutration U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks after a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the prime minister’s official residence, July 11, 2022, in Tokyo. (AP Photo)

Boosted by a new mandate in weekend elections, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met Monday with the U.S. percents top diplomat, who delivered condolences over the death of influential former leader Shinzo Abe and reassurances of a strong bilateral alliance.

Kishida percents governing Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito secured a solid majority in elections for parliament percents upper, less powerful, chamber in a vote Sunday that was imbued with meaning after Abe was assassinated while campaigning Friday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Indonesia for a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting when Abe was shot, gave Kishida a letter from President Joe Biden to Abe percents family.

“We simply want them to know that we deeply feel the loss on the personal level as well,” Blinken told Kishida. “Mostly I percentm here because the United States and Japan are more than allies--we are friends.”

Blinken said Abe "did more than anyone to elevate the relationship between the United States and Japan to new heights.”

Blinken was the the most senior U.S official to visit Japan in the aftermath of Abe percents death. The wake and funeral for Japan percents longest-serving political leader are expected in coming days.

Abe percents death imbued new meaning in Sunday percents vote, with all of Japan percents political leaders emphasizing the importance of free speech and defending democracy against acts of violence. It also may have generated sympathy votes, with turnout around 52%, up about 3 points from the previous 48.8% in 2019.

Kishida on Sunday had called the election extremely meaningful: “Our endeavor to protect democracy continues.”

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