Japan Faces Trump 2.0 / Special Study Group Helped Ishiba Prepare for Trump Meeting; Japan Prime Minister Must Continue Strategic Diplomacy

By Michitaka Kaiya / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

21:00 JST, February 10, 2025

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba succeeded in demonstrating that Japan and the United States’ unity is unwavering over security and economic issues during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. What was the Japanese government’s strategy for dealing with the U.S. president, an unpredictable figure who flouts accepted norms? This is the first in a series of articles that will explore the background of the Japan-U.S. summit meeting and the future of the two countries’ relations.

***

“I know many people, not only politicians but also in the general public, who are happy to see you take office,” Ishiba, who looked a little nervous, said to the president on Friday afternoon in the Oval Office of the White House.

He referred to Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda by name and told Trump that Toyoda wanted to “announce more investment to the United States and create more jobs in the United States.” Prior to his visit, the prime minister secretly met with Toyoda, who was his classmate in high school and college, to obtain his approval to convey this message to Trump at the meeting.

This was his “souvenir” to win the heart of Trump, who prioritizes the economic interests of the United States. When the prime minister listed several other major investment plans, including Toyota’s, Trump praised them.

If Trump, who is taking an increasingly self-righteous approach than he was during his first administration, decides that he does not like Ishiba, the Japan-U.S. relationship will become unstable and Japan’s national interests will be harmed. Japanese politicians, government officials and businesses shared a sense of crisis that the meeting was a battle they could not afford to lose and prepared for it as a team.

In December, a small study group was set up under the prime minister to craft strategies regarding Trump. The core of the group is Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi and senior officials from the foreign and economy, trade and industry ministries, who are familiar with Trump’s first administration. The group formulated hypothetical questions and answers that would follow Trump’s thought process.

They prepared seven different materials on economy alone, including a map showing Japanese investment in the United States by state and data on the decline in the trade deficit with Japan over the past 30 years. They also took time to come up with a new approach to present to Trump regarding the proposed acquisition of United States Steel Corp. by Nippon Steel Corp.

After winning Trump’s approval with several other investment plans and visually appealing materials, they explained that Nippon Steel’s plan was an investment, not an acquisition.

Immediately prior to the meeting, officials close to the prime minister expressed confidence that their preparations were “100% perfect.” However, Ishiba reportedly told them, “I’m nervous because I have no idea what he’ll say.” However, Trump treated the prime minister politely, and their meeting was more lively than expected.

A senior government official commented on the significance of the summit, saying, “The meeting sent a message to the world that the Japan-U.S. relationship remains solid after the era of [former Prime Minister Shinzo] Abe and Trump.” However, it cannot be expected that Trump’s nature will change so easily, and Ishiba will be required to continue strategic diplomacy.