China seized upon the nationalistic comments and the shrine visit to portray Japan’s leaders as unrepentant militarists, in what American and Japanese policy makers saw as an attempt to win international sympathy for its increasingly forceful claims to islands in the East China Sea controlled by Japan. The president of South Korea, another important American ally, also expressed frustration with Japan and refused to meet with Mr. Abe despite American pleas for unity against an assertive China and nuclear-armed North Korea.

More recently, however, the Abe government has tried to present a more moderate face. Last month, Mr. Abe distanced himself from ultranationalists — and his own past statements — by saying he would uphold the Kono Statement, which recognized that the comfort women were coerced into providing sex to Japanese soldiers. That opened the way for him to finally meet the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, in American-brokered talks late last month.

Over the weekend, the Obama administration seemed to reciprocate by standing up for Japan against China, declaring that United States Navy ships would not join a multinational naval parade in the Chinese city of Qingdao after the Chinese refused to invite Japan. The move appeared to be an attempt to alleviate increasing anxiety in Japan that the United States might not come to its defense if China seized the disputed East China Sea islands.

In the interview, Mr. Kishida said that the Abe government would use the visit by Mr. Obama to showcase its efforts to strengthen Japan’s postwar security alliance with the United States, which maintains 50,000 military personnel at bases in the country. He said these accomplishments include the restarting of a long-stalled deal to relocate an air base on Okinawa, and the willingness to make painful political concessions necessary to negotiate a trans-Pacific trade deal that the Obama administration hopes will cement American regional leadership.

However, he said reaching a deal on the pact, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, might prove too complicated to happen in time for Mr. Obama’s visit, although American negotiators are in Tokyo for last-minute talks.

Mr. Kishida also said emphasizing Japan’s contributions to the stability and prosperity of the region since the end of the war would be one of the best ways to combat the criticism that it is dabbling in revisionism.

“What our nation needs to do is show that it has accepted the past humbly, repeatedly expressed remorse and above all, walked a path of peace for 69 years,” Mr. Kishida said. “And we need to explain that there will be no change in these diplomatic policies in the future, either.”