14 April 2013 Last updated at 07:30 ET

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Kerry urges North Korea to join regional dialogue

John Kerry: "We are committed to make that goal of denuclearisation a reality"

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Korea crisis

• China's role
• Should we fear?
• Key figures
• Kerry's test

US Secretary of State John Kerry has called on North Korea's leaders to "come to the table in a responsible way" to end regional tensions.

Speaking in Tokyo, the fourth and final stop on his Asian tour, Mr Kerry warned North Korea it risked further isolation if its threats continued.

He also reaffirmed the US commitment to defend its allies, including Japan.

The countries he had visited were united in seeking the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, he said.

On Friday Mr Kerry visited South Korea, and on Saturday he was in China, whose leaders he has said are "very serious" in their pledge to help reduce tensions - and to help end the North Korean nuclear programme.

North Korea has recently threatened attacks against South Korea and the US, sparking alarm in the region.

Speculation has been building that the North is preparing a missile launch, following reports that it has moved at least two Musudan ballistic missiles to its east coast.

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Analysis

Martin PatienceBBC News, Tokyo

Despite North Korea's threats, the mood in Tokyo is calm. For most Japanese it is business as usual. In fact, the country's stock exchange has been reaching record highs in recent days.

But with an expected North Korea missile launch, the Japanese government is taking no chances and has set up missile batteries around the capital and deployed warships.

What is clear is that all the uncertainties of this crisis are helping to feed a sense of unease among some Japanese. One resident said that any North Korea missile is likely to fly over Japan and that this was a "scary prospect."

For now, there is absolutely no sense of panic - Japan has been here before. But the country's security forces remain on high alert for a possible North Korean missile launch.

Japan is within range of these rockets and has been taking precautions, including setting up batteries of US-made Patriot anti-missile systems around the capital and sending two warships to the Sea of Japan, with orders to shoot down any missiles fired towards the Japanese islands.

At a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Mr Kerry said North Korea had to understand by now "that its threats and provocations are only going to isolate it further and impoverish its people even further".

"The US will do what is necessary to defend our allies against these provocations, but our choice is to negotiate," he said.

"We would hope that whatever considerations and fears the North has of the US or others in the region they would come to table in responsible way and negotiate that."

Mr Kerry stressed that Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo and Washington had "committed to take action together" and to "making that goal of denuclearisation a reality".

Mr Kishida said their role was to persuade North Korea that its aggressive behaviour "will not benefit them in any way whatsoever" and that the international community had to send out this strong message.

Washington and Tokyo have a security alliance dating back to the 1950s, under which Washington is bound to protect Japan if it is attacked.      BBC