Tokyo
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During their closely watched first meeting in Tokyo, Donald Trump and Sanae Takaichi looked more like old friends than world leaders.
There were smiles, back slaps, hugs and even a joke about running late because they’d been watching the LA Dodgers – led by Japanese megastar Shohei Ohtani – play in the World Series.
The US president received a Nobel Peace Prize nomination (the second of his Asia trip), and a golf putter previously owned by the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who famously bonded with Trump on the green.
Their easy camaraderie continued at the Yokosuka naval base, where Trump invited Takaichi on stage aboard the USS George Washington and praised her leadership. The new Japanese PM responded with a triumphant fist pump and a twirl, a moment that quickly went viral in her country.
The message was unmistakable: the Abe-era chemistry between Washington and Tokyo is back.
“She is a delight,” Trump told business leaders at the conclusion of the day’s activities. “I got to know her pretty well in a short period of time.”
It’s not often Trump shows this level of warmth toward a foreign leader, particularly one from a country that’s weathered his tariff wars. It’s just as rare to see a Japanese prime minister display such open affection on the world stage.
It certainly helps that the two see eye to eye on several political issues. Both are right-wing conservatives who support military buildup and a tougher stance on China. Their shared connection to Abe also helps explain their rapport. Abe was one of Trump’s “best friends” in global politics, as well as being Takaichi’s political mentor.
But beneath the photo ops and nostalgia also lies a strategic alliance born of mutual need. Especially as both leaders eye the same adversary in Beijing.
For Trump, having a staunch ally in the Asia-Pacific region willing to take a hard line against China is an undeniable win. Takaichi, a longtime China hawk, has criticized Beijing’s military expansion and economic coercion for years. Her hardline stance dovetails neatly with Trump’s “America First” worldview.
The two also unveiled a new framework on rare earths, aimed at reducing dependence on China’s near-monopoly over critical resources. Details were vague, but the message of cooperation was clear. Japan still remembers the 2010 “rare earths shock,” when Beijing cut off exports after a territorial dispute. Takaichi has since made securing stable supply chains a key part of her economic agenda.
Trade and investment also featured prominently at the summit. Japan pledged roughly $490 billion in US-bound investments, led by companies in AI, semiconductors, defense and advanced manufacturing, part of a broader trade deal already agreed upon by the allies in September.
For Trump, who prizes loyalty and has a long memory for slights, an allegiance to Japan solidified early in his first term. Abe took great care to develop the US-Japan relationship, at a time when the president did not have a lot of support on the world stage.
Foreign dignitaries and leaders openly laughed at the president during a 2018 United Nations General Assembly address. In 2019, a group of NATO leaders were captured on camera gossiping about him.
But Abe cultivated his American counterpart with thoughtful gestures that played directly to Trump’s interests: multiple golf outings, the pomp and circumstance of a state banquet, and a trip to a sumo wrestling tournament where Trump bestowed the winner with a “President’s Cup.”
Trump remained close to his counterpart until Abe’s assassination in 2022, and hosted his widow at Mar-a-Lago last year.
That goodwill paved the way for Takaichi’s success on Wednesday.
“He really likes her,” said a senior Trump administration official who observed their interactions behind closed doors.
She also benefited from timing: Takaichi took office after Trump’s reciprocal tariffs rocked markets and reimagined US alliances – shielding her from tangling with the Trump administration to negotiate a trade deal.
For Takaichi, standing shoulder to shoulder with Trump strengthens her hand at home. Her approval ratings soared after taking office, but her ruling party still lacks a parliamentary majority after recent election losses. Public frustration over past scandals also lingers. Projecting Japan’s influence abroad, and reaffirming its bond with Washington, helps her rebuild political capital.
For Trump, the optics are just as valuable. Hardening a close alliance with Tokyo gives him diplomatic momentum ahead of a more contentious meeting with China’s Xi Jinping. It’s also a reminder to Beijing that he’s not short on powerful friends in the region.
