With North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's summit with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in seen as a success and Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on the horizon, Japan is desperate to become a player in the next round of negotiations.
But what could Tokyo use to get what it wants from Pyongyang?
Looking forward, experts say Japan's biggest leverage is cash, or to put it more mildly, economic assistance it will be able to provide if it normalizes diplomatic ties with the North.
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