Takaichi Explains Japan’s Standpoint to Trump

Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, had a meeting with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 19th. In the meeting, Takaichi explained what Japan can do or cannot in the Middle East, where the U.S. was waging war with Iran. Receiving Japan’s offers of economic cooperation, Trump did not directly ask Japan’s contribution to its operation. Both leaders reconfirmed necessity of stabilizing situation in Taiwan Straits, as they had done five months ago. 

Trump has been asking countries contribution to operation in Persian Gulf for safe transport of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. He did not directly ask Takaichi the contribution, but expected Japan to “step up,” referring to spending money for stationing of 45,000 U.S. troops in Japan and to Japan’s 90 percent dependence of its oil through the strait.

 

In her remarks to the press after the meeting, Takaichi stressed that she had explained what Japan can do or cannot on the Strait of Hormuz. Japan cannot use force there, because the situation in the strait does not directly affect life of Japanese people. It also cannot make logistic support for U.S. force in the area where actual battle is ongoing. Patrol in the sea can only be made for Japanese vessels, not for U.S. force. While European countries reject the contribution because it is not their war, Japan took distance from the U.S. because of legal requirements.

 

Instead, Takaichi offered a bunch of investment projects to the U.S. A joint announcement of both governments listed up construction of small module reactors by GE Vernova Hitachi in Tennessee and Alabama ($40 billion), natural gas generation facilities in Pennsylvania ($17 billion) and in Texas ($16 billion). They construct the second batch of projects to implement the investment deal in the bilateral negotiation on tariffs last year.

 

The size of projects is bigger than the first batch, announced in February 2026, which amounted to 36 billion dollars including manufacturing industrial synthetic diamonds, crude oil export infrastructure or natural gas generation project. The joint announcement between Takaichi and Trump also includes building crude oil infrastructure, which is supposed to be promoted in Alaska.

 

From the viewpoint of Japan, this summit meeting was set to reconfirm standpoint of both governments before Trump would visit Beijing in April. Takaichi had to take care of U.S. engagement to Asia-Pacific region in the time Japan-China relations were exacerbated by her careless comment on Taiwan contingency in November, 2025. However, Trump postponed his schedule to visit China, due to U.S. involvement in the war in Iran.

 

Takaichi insisted that Japan is always open to China, trying to impress that it was China that was taking rigorous approach to Japan. Trump replied that he would be “speaking Japan’s praises” when he visits Beijing. Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community notes, however, that Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan contingency “represent a significant shift for a sitting Japanese prime minister,” despite Takaichi’s explanation that her remarks have not change Japan’s attitude toward China. It is still unpredictable how Trump will deal with this issue in the bilateral talk with Xi Jinping.

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