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Takaichi buys time and builds trust with ‘near-perfect’ Trump summit

A “near-perfect meeting.” That was how one senior Liberal Democratic Party official labeled new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
It’s hard to argue with that, supporters and rivals say. With a successful summit, Takaichi achieved most of her goals, including an understanding from Trump over Japan’s push to boost its defense capabilities, while the U.S. president pocketed a number of economic deliverables, most notably an agreement to cooperate on rare-earth and critical minerals.

“It was a near-perfect meeting,” LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Takayuki Kobayashi said after the summit Tuesday. “We were able to demonstrate to the world the strength of the Japan-U.S. relationship and the close rapport between our leaders.”

Even the head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), which has often been critical of the LDP, welcomed Takaichi’s performance.

“It is most significant that, despite it being their first meeting, they were able to start off on a harmonious note through their shared friendship with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,” CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda said Tuesday, adding that the key outcome of the summit was “the establishment of a personal relationship of trust.”

Experts agree, with many describing the meeting as an “overwhelming success,” especially considering the tumult and uncertainty in bilateral relations over the past year.

“Takaichi passed the first foreign policy test of her new administration with flying colors, and combined with her strong domestic approval ratings, she has bought herself a bit of a honeymoon period to figure out next steps,” said Kristi Govella, Japan Chair at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

For Japan, Trump’s enthusiastic statements about the importance of the alliance — including his support on the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago and his backing of cooperative initiatives that were announced on critical minerals, technology and shipbuilding — helped soothe concerns about the changing direction of U.S. foreign policy, Govella said.

For Trump, the optics of the trip were “fantastic” and he came away with multiple assurances that Japan is committed to addressing his demands on both the economic and security fronts, Govella added.

Indeed, building a strong relationship between the two leaders was widely seen as the most pressing issue.

“Japan rolled out the red carpet for President Trump, and Takaichi made sure to win him over through charm and flattery,” said Shihoko Goto, Asia program director at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

It’s clear that the Japanese government managed to find the perfect mix of symbolism and substance to appeal to the president — despite working under a tight deadline. Takaichi only took office just a week before the meeting.

Takaichi, an Abe protege, took a page from her mentor’s approach to the mercurial president by offering up an audience with the emperor and a state visit full of pomp. She also presented him with a unique gift — a putter used by Abe and a golf bag signed by Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama — and even told the U.S. side that she would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in mediating conflicts.

Mutual praise

“Takaichi executed the itinerary with skill, channeling her mentor, Abe, while also injecting her own personality and style into the engagements,” said Govella, noting that these gestures didn’t go unnoticed as Trump reciprocated by voicing his confidence in Takaichi and promised support to Tokyo at a time when Washington has charted a more isolationist foreign policy direction.

One of the highlights was the two leaders’ joint flight to the U.S. naval base at Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture aboard the presidential Marine One helicopter — a rarity for foreign leaders. Takaichi later posted a photo of the two aboard the chopper on X, referring to Trump as “my wonderful ally and friend.”

The mutual flattery continued aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, with Trump introducing Takaichi as “a winner,” adding that they had “become very close friends all of a sudden.”

“I have such respect for Japan … and now I have really great respect for the new and incredible prime minister,” Trump said in a near embrace of Takaichi in front of U.S. sailors as they both beamed at each other.

“The footage of the two leaders together on an aircraft carrier sent a very powerful message about the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance,” Govella said, adding that the pair “seems poised to work well together in the months to come.”

Gaining Trump’s understanding

Getting Trump’s understanding for Japan’s own plans to bolster its military capabilities was another key goal of the meeting.

Takaichi sought to stave off further U.S. calls for budget hikes by explaining Tokyo’s plan to reach a defense spending target of 2% gross domestic product by the end of this fiscal year, effectively moving the planned hike ahead by two years.

Without offering up a pre-set spending target, she also said that her government is working to revise Japan’s three key security documents to clear a path for even higher defense budgets.

This approach seems to have worked.

“I know that you are increasing your military capacity very substantially and we’ve received your orders for a very large amount of military equipment,” Trump said, showing his appreciation for the rapid steps Takaichi has taken in such a short time.

While Washington is sure to bring up burden sharing in the months to come, experts such as Govella believe that “for now, Takaichi has forestalled U.S. criticism and bought her new government some time to strategize about next steps.”

That extra time will be precious as the specifics of how Takaichi plans to hike defense spending remain murky. At the same time, she needs to both stabilize the political base within the LDP and find areas of compromise with the opposition as her ruling coalition is still a minority in parliament, making it difficult to push through legislation, said Naoko Aoki, a political scientist at the Rand Corp.

“What she has in her favor is her alliance with the Japan Innovation Party, whose conservative view on defense matters often aligns with hers,” Aoki added, referring to the party also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai.

But Trump’s visit went beyond establishing a rapport between the leaders.

Tokyo and Washington, which pledged to usher in a “new golden era” in bilateral relations, also issued several joint documents, including a joint statement on Japan’s $550 billion investment deal that saw Trump’s tariffs eased, and a fact sheet listing over 20 companies from both countries that have expressed interest in investment projects.

“While there was no breakthrough in trade negotiations, Takaichi’s commitment to boost investments in the United States underscored Japanese intentions,” said Goto. Coupled with meetings Trump had with corporate leaders in Tokyo, the president likely departed Japan with a “sense of confidence” that trade relations are moving in the direction he has envisaged, she added.

At the same time, Goto said, Takaichi was able to establish trust with Trump on the trade front while averting any detailed commitment in moving forward with Japan’s investment commitments.

Goto said that now, the real test for Takaichi will be to see if her rapport with Trump can withstand situations where the two allies are forced to “agree to disagree.”

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