Trump candidacy stirs alliance angst in Japan

Tokyo

US presidential candidate Donald Trump's portrayal of Japan as a free-rider on security is stirring worries in Tokyo about damage to its US alliance, and could embolden hard-liners keen to bolster Japan's military in the face of a rising China.

The US-Japan alliance has been the linchpin of Tokyo's security policy for decades, but worries have simmered in recent years as to whether Washington will continue to be willing and able to defend its key Asian ally.