President Donald Trump reaffirmed the United States’s long-running alliance with Japan in a meeting with its new prime minister.
Trump met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo for the first time on Tuesday, taking part in a joint signing ceremony where they committed to inaugurating the “golden age” of the U.S.-Japan alliance. Both leaders were liberal in their praise of each other, with Takaichi tapping into Trump’s interests to appeal to him.
Takaichi began apologizing for the delay, saying she and Trump had been held up by watching the third game in the Major League Baseball World Series — a favorite sport of the U.S. and Japan.
She then led her remarks by talking about her relationship with assassinated Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of Trump’s closest friends among world leaders, who was also her mentor.
“As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Abe often told me about your dynamic diplomacy,” the prime minister said.
“Thank you for your enduring friendship with Prime Minister Abe over the years. In addition, thank you for extending gracious hospitality to Mrs. Akia Abe at the end of last year,” Takaichi said, referring to Trump’s hosting of the former prime minister’s widow.
She then praised Trump’s peace efforts, thanking him for negotiating a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, then praising his work on ending the War in Gaza as an “unprecedented historic achievement.” The prime minister described the alliance between Japan and the U.S. as the “greatest in the world.”
Takaichi announced that Japan would send 250 cherry trees to the U.S. the following year to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday and noted that fireworks from Akita Prefecture, Japan, would be used on July 4.
Trump was similarly warm, beginning with his friendship with Abe and saying how he had plenty of praise for his mentee before his assassination in 2022.
“You know, Shinzo Abe was a great friend of mine, and I was very sad to see what happened. It was so shocking, but he spoke so well of you, even before we knew what was going to happen and your ascension, he spoke so well of you long before we met, and I’m not surprised to see that you are now the prime minister, and he would be very happy to know that, and I congratulate you on behalf of the United States of America,” Trump began.
On the two issues of tension, trade and Japanese military spending, Trump offered nothing but praise. He approvingly noted her intention to increase Japan’s military capacity “very substantially,” and thanked her for the new orders for “a very large amount of new military equipment.”
“We appreciate that order, and we very much appreciate the trade, tremendous trade together, I think, more than ever before. [We] just [signed] a new deal, and it’s a very fair deal… And it’s something that everybody is very, very excited about,” Trump said.
The president noted his longtime love of Japan, and expressed his belief that the two allies were entering a golden age in their relationship.
“I have always had a great love of Japan and a great respect of Japan, and I will say that this will be a relationship that will be stronger than ever before, and I look forward to working with you, on behalf of our country. I want to just let you know anytime you have any question, any doubt, anything you want, any favors you need, anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there. We are an ally at the strongest level, and it’s a great honor to be with you,” he said.
On a concluding note, Trump congratulated Takaichi on being the first female prime minister, calling it a “big deal.”
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The meeting is the first between Trump and Takaichi, a conservative hard-liner. The warmth shown at the meeting extended beyond pleasantries, reflecting the allignment between the two on key geostrategic issues such as competition with China and opposition to immigration.
To inaugurate the new relationship, Takaichi gifted Trump a golf bag signed by Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama, and Abe’s own putter.
