Tokyo, October 28, 2025 – In a display of diplomatic camaraderie that evoked memories of past U.S.-Japan summits, President Donald Trump met with Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the opulent Akasaka Palace State Guest House here on Tuesday, declaring that bilateral relations would soon be "stronger than ever before." The encounter, marked by warm exchanges and concrete agreements, underscored a mutual commitment to countering regional threats from China and North Korea while advancing economic ties strained by ongoing trade disputes.
Trump, on the second leg of a high-stakes Asia tour aimed at easing U.S.-China trade frictions, arrived in Tokyo late Monday amid a spectacle of illuminated skyscrapers bathed in red, white, and blue lights—a nod to American symbolism that delighted the president. Wearing his signature gold tie and blue suit, Trump pumped his fists to an honor guard before being whisked away for a nighttime helicopter tour of the city. Earlier, he had paid respects at the Imperial Palace, shaking hands with Emperor Naruhito in a reunion six years after their last meeting during Trump's first term.
The summit, Takaichi's first as Japan's leader since her historic election on October 21, 2025, as the nation's first female prime minister, represented a pivotal moment for both leaders. Takaichi, a 64-year-old ultraconservative from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a self-proclaimed successor to the late Shinzo Abe—Trump's golfing buddy and staunch ally—has positioned herself as a hawk on security issues. Her rise followed a turbulent LDP leadership race, where she edged out rivals like Shinjirō Koizumi in a runoff, capitalizing on voter fatigue with scandals that had plagued her predecessors.
"I have always had a great love of Japan and a great respect for Japan," Trump remarked during the bilateral talks, his voice booming through the palace's gilded halls. "And I will say that this will be a relationship that will be stronger than ever before." He pledged "unwavering support" to Tokyo, assuring Takaichi that the U.S. would stand ready for "any question, any doubt, anything you want, any favors you need." Trump highlighted the two nations' status as allies "at the strongest level," praising Japan's "very substantial" military buildup. "We've received orders for a very large amount of new military equipment," he added, referencing recent deals for American-made hardware like F-35 jets and Aegis destroyer systems.
The praise flowed both ways. Takaichi, known for her "Sanae cut" hairstyle—a sharp, practical bob symbolizing her no-nonsense style—thanked Trump for his "unwavering commitment towards peace and stability." In just months since his January inauguration for a second term, she noted, "the world started to enjoy more peace on the ground." Echoing Abe's vision, she declared Tokyo's desire to usher in "a new golden age of the Japan-U.S. alliance, where both Japan and the United States will become stronger and also more prosperous." The two countries, she emphasized, "have developed the greatest alliance in the world, and together with you, Japan is ready to contribute towards peace and stability."
A highlight of the personal rapport came when Trump congratulated Takaichi on her trailblazing role. "I'd also like to congratulate you on being the first woman prime minister. That's a big deal," he said, drawing a smile from the stoic leader, who has rarely emphasized gender issues in her career. Takaichi's ascent in the male-dominated LDP—where women hold fewer than 10% of seats—has been meteoric, from her entry in 2005 to roles as economic security minister and now premier. Yet, her conservative stances, including opposition to married women retaining separate surnames and resistance to female imperial succession, have drawn criticism from progressives. During her campaign, however, she floated modest reforms like tax breaks for childcare, signaling a pragmatic pivot to broaden appeal amid Japan's dismal gender equality rankings.
The summit's substantive fruits were two landmark agreements, signed with fanfare in the palace's state room. The first, building on a 2024 framework, aims to "strengthen economic security, promote economic growth, and thereby continuously lead to global prosperity," per a White House statement. It directs ministers from both sides to accelerate steps toward this "new golden age," including joint investments in semiconductors and AI technologies critical to outpacing China's dominance. Bilateral trade, Trump boasted, has hit "historical levels," with the pair poised to ink a "very fair" deal addressing U.S. grievances over auto tariffs and agricultural imports. Over a lunch of American rice and beef prepared with Japanese flair—a deliberate gesture amid Trump's push for Tokyo to buy more U.S. grains—the leaders reviewed a map of Japanese investments in America, totaling over $700 billion and supporting 900,000 jobs.
The second pact establishes a robust framework for securing critical minerals and rare earths, vital for everything from electric vehicles to hypersonic missiles. Triggered by Beijing's October export curbs on these resources—which supply 80% of global demand— the agreement deploys economic tools like grants, loans, and insurance to foster "diversified, liquid, and fair markets." Both nations will mobilize public and private funds, targeting financial backing for mining and processing projects within six months. Deliveries will prioritize the U.S., Japan, and "like-minded countries" such as Australia and Canada. A U.S.-Japan Critical Minerals Supply Security Rapid Response Group will convene urgently to pinpoint vulnerabilities, while a bilateral Mining, Minerals, and Metals Investment Ministerial is slated within 180 days. Analysts hailed the move as a direct riposte to China's leverage, noting it could slash Tokyo's reliance on Beijing from 60% to under 40% by 2030.
Takaichi reiterated her multifaceted strategy to bolster "Japan's national power," encompassing diplomacy, defense, economy, technology, intelligence, and human resources. She stressed diplomacy as the primary tool "to protect Japan's own national interests," while affirming readiness for deeper U.S. cooperation in pursuing a "free and open Indo-Pacific." This vision aligns with the Quad alliance (U.S., Japan, Australia, India) and counters Beijing's territorial encroachments in the South China Sea and East China Sea, where Japanese fishing vessels have faced harassment.
In a surprising flourish, Takaichi announced her nomination of Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in de-escalating Middle East conflicts and fostering U.S.-Asia stability. NBC News reported the move, which joins prior endorsements from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Cambodia. Trump, no stranger to the honor—nominated multiple times during his first term—grinned at the news, recalling Shinzo Abe's 2019 gesture. "It's an honor, but the real prize is peace," he quipped, though the Norwegian Nobel Committee has historically overlooked such bids amid controversies over his "America First" policies.
The day's agenda extended beyond palace walls. Following the bilateral, Trump and Takaichi hosted a poignant 8-minute session with families of the 17 Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s—a decades-old wound unresolved despite Pyongyang's admissions. Clutching faded photos, relatives tearfully urged action. The U.S. State Department reaffirmed Washington's ironclad support for "immediate resolution," with Trump vowing to raise the issue in potential talks with Kim Jong Un, whose meeting remains a tantalizing "we'll see" on his itinerary.
Later Tuesday, Trump was set to visit the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, for a tour of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington. The 100,000-ton behemoth, homeported there since 2005, symbolizes the 54,000 American troops stationed in Japan—the largest overseas contingent. Trump planned to address sailors, emphasizing burden-sharing: Japan has pledged $2 billion annually for host-nation support, but Trump has pressed for more amid rising threats from North Korea's missile tests and China's hypersonic advancements. The visit caps a day of symbolism, with 18,000 Japanese police ensuring security in a city on high alert.
As Trump departs for South Korea and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan, eyes turn to his Thursday sideline huddle with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Hopes flicker for a trade truce—Trump dangled 100% tariffs on Chinese goods in response to rare earth curbs—potentially easing the war that has shaved 2% off global GDP since 2018. Yet, with a U.S. government shutdown looming over budget impasses, Trump's Asia gambit carries domestic weight, testing his ability to project strength abroad while fires rage at home.
This summit, against Tokyo's autumn foliage, reaffirms the U.S.-Japan pillar in a volatile world. As Takaichi navigates her nascent tenure—grappling with inflation at 3.2%, a shrinking workforce, and LDP fractures—her rapport with Trump could prove a lifeline. For the alliance, born in postwar ashes and tempered by Cold War fires, the "golden age" pledge rings with promise, if precarious execution follows.
