Sunday’s Asahi front-paged the disclosure by several GOJ sources that an ASDF jet fighter unit carried out a joint drill with a USAF B-52 over the Sea of Japan in late August, saying that the operation was one of the “concrete actions” that the two governments decided during the bilateral summit in May to display in dealing with North Korea’s provocations. When undertaking the joint training, the GOJ confirmed that the U.S. strategic bomber was not carrying nuclear weapons to ensure that the operation was compatible with the nation’s three non-nuclear principles. The paper said the drill signifies increased synchronization between the two militaries. Other papers filed similar stories today.