President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Japan next Monday for a three-day visit. During his stay, Trump will meet with Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takashi and also have an audience with Emperor Naruhito.
The White House officials confirmed that Trump will invite Takashi to ride on the presidential helicopter together to fly to Yokosuka Naval Base. This rare diplomatic gesture symbolizes a new phase in the U.S.-Japan alliance relationship.
Takashi officially became Japan’s first female prime minister this week and has expressed her intention to continue the path set by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In her inaugural policy speech at the parliament on Friday, Takashi promised to build a trustworthy relationship with Trump through their summit and to elevate the Japan-U.S. alliance to new heights.
Following their bilateral meeting, Trump and Takashi will fly from the U.S. military helicopter base in Tokyo on the presidential helicopter “Marine One” to visit the Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture. They will together inspect the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, based at that port.
The situation where foreign leaders ride on “Marine One” with the U.S. President is quite rare, and it is seen as a high affirmation of Takashi’s administration by Trump, marking an important moment symbolizing the close relationship between the U.S. and Japan.
Expectations for a positive outcome from the “Trump-Takashi meeting” are also held by the U.S. side. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated in an interview with American media that Trump and Takashi will have a “very good relationship,” referring to Takashi as a “disciple” of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had a very close relationship with Trump.
Even after Trump’s return to the White House, he often fondly remembers Abe and addresses him warmly as “Shinzo,” enhancing Takashi’s diplomatic continuity.
To strengthen the personal bond between the two leaders, Takashi is considering presenting Trump with several symbolic commemorative gifts.
According to Fuji TV, Takashi is contemplating gifting Trump with a golf club previously used by the late Shinzo Abe, in line with the wishes of Abe’s widow, Akie Abe.
Other gifts may include a signed golf bag used by professional golfer Hideki Matsuyama when playing with Trump and Abe in 2017, and a golf ball made with gold leaf produced in Ishikawa Prefecture’s Kanazawa City.
The Japanese media suggest that Takashi aims to “inherit Abe’s route of building a trustworthy relationship through golf.”
Reportedly, Trump is also scheduled to meet with Akie Abe at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Japan on Tuesday, a special arrangement amid his busy diplomatic agenda, highlighting the deep friendship he built with the late ally’s widow.
Trump’s visit to Japan serves as a strategic prelude to his upcoming Asian itinerary. Following his visit to Japan, Trump will proceed to South Korea to meet with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping next Thursday. The discussions are expected to cover sensitive security and trade issues including rare earth exports and the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
Analysts suggest that Trump’s early visit to Japan and the strong goodwill expressed towards the Takashi government could be an effort to solidify the U.S.-Japan alliance and gain strategic leverage before the U.S.-China talks.
In terms of the economy, major Japanese companies are also expected to show goodwill during Trump’s visit. Several Japanese media outlets report that Toyota is considering “reverse importing” vehicles produced in the U.S. back to Japan.
Toyota states this aims to “address the trade imbalance between Japan and the U.S.,” and Toyota President Akio Toyoda will participate in the meeting with Trump.
To ensure Trump’s safety during his visit to Japan, the Japan National Police Agency announced that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department will deploy around 18,000 police officers for security operations, a scale similar to Trump’s visit in 2019, accounting for over 40% of all police personnel.
Due to a shooting incident during a speech by Trump in July 2024, police will strengthen security measures, including high-level snipers and preventive measures against “lone offender” terrorists.
During Trump’s previous visit to Japan in 2019, about 18,000 police officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, as well as 3,500 police officers from Chiba and Kanagawa Prefectures each, totaling around 25,000 personnel were mobilized, marking the largest security operation for a U.S. president’s solo visit to Japan since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.