Japan and the United States have taken note of remarks by the powerful sister of North Korea¡¯s leader hinting at the possibility of a visit to Pyongyang by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, with Washington offering its blessings to the potential summit.

Kishida has repeatedly pledged to meet ¡°unconditionally¡± with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a call that had been met largely with silence from Pyongyang ¡ª until the late-Thursday comments of Kim Yo Jong, herself a senior official in her brother¡¯s regime.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Friday acknowledged those remarks, saying Japan is ¡°keeping in mind¡± what could represent a rare chance of a thaw between the East Asian neighbors as Tokyo continues behind-the-scenes talks for a possible summit.