Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi (left) and US President Donald Trump. (©Kyodo via Reuters)
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit the United States and meet with President Donald Trump on March 19. Judging by the reaction in Washington, she will find a clear bipartisan welcome.
Close solidarity with the Takaichi administration — which shares a broadly conservative orientation with Trump — seems all but assured.
But warm receptions in Washington are the easy part. The real question is whether that political affinity will actually produce results on security, trade, and the increasingly volatile strategic landscape in the Indo-Pacific.
However, even among opposition US Democratic Party lawmakers, there is broad support for the Japanese leader.
From Washington, here's a summary of the current mood on the ground and a few recommendations on the key messages she should convey to the American side.
Extend Rapport to the Congress
President Trump's personal rapport with Prime Minister Takaichi has been on repeated display since he visited Japan last October. The evidence is hard to miss: his invocation of a "golden age" for the bilateral alliance at their summit, the joint pledge to strengthen ties aboard the US Navy aircraft carrier "George Washington," and his unusually explicit expression of hope for Takaichi's victory on the eve of Japan's lower house election.
So how are Democrats, who oppose virtually every policy of the Trump administration, reacting? From what I observed firsthand at a recent gathering on Capitol Hill, many Democratic lawmakers are welcoming Takaichi's visit.
On the evening of March 5, I attended an event titled "Sake Reception" at a US Senate office building. It was a rare occasion where lawmakers from both parties gathered to discuss and celebrate the expansion of Japanese sake production across the US.
The event was organized by the Embassy of Japan in the United States together with the Sake Brewers Association of North America. The latter is a group representing US-based sake producers. In recent years, sake has been gaining traction in the American market, with breweries now operating in 10 states.
Seven sitting members of Congress participated. Among them, Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA) took the stage and quipped, "Celebrating the spread of sake just before the arrival of Ms Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, is truly a symbol of US-Japan friendship."
As his name suggests, Takano is a Japanese American. Now in his seventh term, the seasoned lawmaker has served on the Education and Veterans' Affairs Committees and is generally regarded as a moderate on foreign policy.
Alignment on Japan-related Issues
While Takano frequently parts ways with the Trump administration, he has shown a notable willingness to align on Japan-related issues. He offered congratulations on Takaichi's inauguration and warmly welcomes her visit to America.
Other Democratic lawmakers struck a similarly warm tone, commending Takaichi on becoming Japan's first female prime minister and welcoming her presence in Washington.
Of course, polite applause at a reception does not, by itself, define a party's strategic posture. But in this case, the tone is matched by substance. The Democratic Party has consistently upheld the bilateral alliance as a cornerstone of its foreign policy.
And notably, there has been no real criticism of Takaichi or her administration from within its ranks. Taken together, this goes beyond mere diplomatic courtesy. It reflects a quietly solid, bipartisan welcome.
What, then, should Prime Minister Takaichi convey to the US side, and what should she seek in return? For that matter, what does Washington expect from her? Drawing on recent statements from the Trump camp and insights from policy experts in Washington, I would distill the agenda into three key points.
First: An Alliance Beyond Bilateral Interests
First and foremost, Prime Minister Takaichi should make clear her intent to strengthen and expand the Japan-US alliance. At the same time, she should avoid framing it as a relationship that serves only bilateral interests.
Instead, she should cast it in broader terms, highlighting the alliance's role as a strategic asset in rebuilding the international order Washington seeks to restore amid today's global upheaval.
In its military actions toward Venezuela, the Trump administration sought to bring down the Maduro regime, which it accused of involvement in illicit drug exports to the United States. The administration even moved to detain the Venezuelan president under US law.
Concerning Iran, Washington has taken an even harder line. It has sanctioned Iran for its enduring support for terrorism and sought to halt Tehran's development of nuclear weapons.
These moves have drawn some resistance both within the US and in Japan. However, as an ally, Tokyo should not view them solely through a legal or normative lens.
It should recognize the strategic logic behind them: as an effort to check the expansion of anti-democratic forces and to reshape the broader balance of power in ways that favor the United States and its partners.
Forward-Leaning Posture on Iran
Trump is unlikely to press Japan to take part in direct military action against Iran. Nevertheless, the US president has already singled out Japan by calling for greater international involvement in securing the Strait of Hormuz. This indicates that he is testing Tokyo's resolve.
Japan, for its part, should respond with a forward-leaning posture, keeping options such as minesweeping operations on the table.
Meanwhile, on the international expansion of the Japan-US alliance, Walter Russell Mead, a leading voice in American strategic thinking, has welcomed the prospect. In a Wall Street Journal article published last December, he argued that the deterrence generated by the Takaichi administration's efforts to strengthen the alliance could bolster security in the region and also for like-minded nations beyond it.
Second: Normalizing Japan
Second, Prime Minister Takaichi should take the opportunity to clearly explain what Japanese conservatism actually represents to both the Trump administration and members of Congress.
At its core, it is not about ideological rigidity. It's about normalizing Japan as a sovereign state. One capable of exercising the same rights and responsibilities as other major powers.
Both Takaichi and Trump can be described as conservatives in that they prioritize national interests, value history and tradition, and advocate a foreign policy rooted in "peace through strength."
Yet Japan's case is an anomaly. Owing to the postwar constitution, the archipelago continues to operate under unnatural constraints in the realm of defense and national security.
In the international arena, this has left Japan in an anomalous position. It is effectively an outlier among major powers, unable to fully exercise what would ordinarily be considered the basic right of self-defense. The consequences are tangible. They include, for example, the absence of comprehensive laws addressing foreign espionage. Under the same rationale, Japan has lacked a centralized intelligence apparatus.
Incidentally, successive US administrations have signaled support for constitutional revision, a step widely seen as central to Japan's normalization. Even before entering office, Mr Trump took aim at what he viewed as the lopsided nature of the bilateral alliance. And at the heart of that imbalance were the constraints on collective self-defense embedded in Japan's current constitution.
Third: Standing Firm on China
Third, Prime Minister Takaichi should clearly restate Japan's firm position in its dispute with China. This is not meant for the President alone. It should be conveyed just as directly to members of Congress.
In Japan, some critics have speculated that Trump's fundamental stance on deterring China has softened. But from what can be observed in Washington, that view does not hold. There may be some tactical flexibility on economic issues. Nonetheless, the underlying assessment that China represents the United States' foremost strategic challenge remains firmly in place.
Against this backdrop, Takaichi's resolute stance toward Beijing is not a liability. If anything, it is being quietly welcomed.
At the reception mentioned earlier, my question to a prominent lawmaker resulted in a rather unexpected response. I asked Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) what the American side viewed as particularly important regarding Prime Minister Takaichi's visit. He replied without hesitation:
"First, I would like to convey the US side's 'thank you' to Prime Minister Takaichi. Her firm stance toward China directly supports US policy and advances our strategic interests."
Congressman Wilson was, of course, well aware of Takaichi's remarks in the Diet on Japan's response to a potential Taiwan contingency, as well as Beijing's threats and retaliatory measures that followed. His praise was directed squarely at what he saw as her steady, unflinching posture.
Washington's Welcome
That endorsement carries weight. Wilson is a veteran lawmaker, now in his 13th consecutive term, with close ties to the Trump camp and strong standing within the Republican leadership in the House.
His work on the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, combined with his consistently hardline positions on China and Russia, places him firmly within the core of strategic thinking that has shaped Trump-era policy.
The above reflects my own reading of Washington, its mood and mechanics, and the recommendations that follow for Prime Minister Takaichi's visit.
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Author: Yoshihisa Komori
The veteran foreign correspondent is the Associate Correspondent-Washington of the Sankei Shimbun, and a JAPAN Forward advisor.
