How Japan’s Leader Sanae Takaichi Found Her Voice in D.C. Decades Ago
Source: nytimes.com
- Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi lands in Washington today to meet Trump and lock in deeper U.S.-Japan alliance ties amid global chaos.
- Iran war throws a wrench in plans, with Trump pushing Japan hard for help securing the Strait of Hormuz despite Tokyo's domestic pushback.
- Takaichi brings big economic pledges like $100 billion in U.S. investments to prove Japan's worth under Trump's "America First" lens.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's high-stakes Washington visit on March 19 aims to solidify the U.S.-Japan alliance through economic commitments and security talks. The trip got hijacked by the escalating Iran war, forcing her to navigate Trump's demands for military support in the Middle East. It matters because alliances are turning transactional, testing how far Japan will bend without breaking its constitutional limits.