Asia tensions simmer as Obama set to arrive in Tokyo

By Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in a tense Asian region on Wednesday, faced with the delicate task of assuring Japan and other regional allies of America’s commitment to their defense without hurting Washington’s vital ties with a rising China. That difficult diplomatic balancing act was highlighted on Monday, when Japanese Prime Minister sent a ritual offering to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, seen in parts of the region as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism. The move strained Tokyo’s already tense ties with China and fellow U.S. ally South Korea, another stop on his four-nation tour that will also take in Malaysia and the Philippines. Japan, for its part, has been beset by anxiety over the degree to which reality matches rhetoric in Obama’s promised “pivot” of U.S. military and diplomatic assets to Asia.