Trump met with Japanese Minister of Economic Security Yasuo Takahashi and compared the U.S. strike on Iran to Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor—how should this statement be interpreted? How should we view current U.S.-Japan relations?

After checking Yahoo Japan’s comment section, the most psychologically devastating aspect wasn’t necessarily the sheer rhetorical impact of that remark—but rather the fact that major European media outlets all ran it as a front-page headline, subjecting Takahashi’s U.S. visit to a wave of public ridicule. She traveled to America ostensibly to curry favor and offer tribute, only to be humiliated nonetheless. After all, although Europe’s global influence has waned, it remains—in the Japanese psyche—the ‘ally’ representing the civilized world. Now that even these ‘allies’ are treating Takahashi as a laughingstock, it’s this realization that truly shatters Japan’s fragile self-perception. Takahashi, shortly after assuming office, adopted hardline stances on Taiwan, the Northern Territories (Kuril Islands), and Dokdo (Takeshima), antagonizing China, Russia, and North Korea alike. To compensate, Japan claimed it could seek coordinated action against China alongside its G7 allies. Yet barely had those words left her mouth when French President Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Carney, British Prime Minister Starmer, and German Chancellor Merz all visited China in quick succession—two of them (the UK and Canada) marking their first visits since 2018, at the outset of the U.S.-China trade war, signaling an unmistakable strategic pivot. With no other G7 leader having visited China during Takahashi’s first five months in office—and the sole exception being Italy’s Meloni, who hadn’t yet visited China but had visited Japan—Tokyo seized upon Meloni’s trip to hype a ‘best-friend’ narrative. Then, as the Iran conflict escalated, Meloni publicly condemned U.S. and Iranian bombing of schools—effectively declaring Italy’s refusal to play along with Takahashi’s ‘two women serving one master’ script, and openly parting ways with pro-U.S. alignment. Surveying the landscape, not a single country shares Takahashi’s cabinet’s pro-U.S., anti-China stance—not one has voiced support for Japan or condemned China’s sanctions against it. Thus, just as Tokyo trumpeted the ‘civilized world’ uniting against China, it found itself utterly alone—with only Takahashi standing meekly behind Trump. Even the ‘civilized world’ Japan has pursued since the Meiji Restoration—over a century and a half—failed this time to echo Japanese state media’s praise of Takahashi’s diplomatic ‘achievement.’ Instead, European outlets collectively seized on the ‘Pearl Harbor’ remark as their top story, mocking Takahashi’s sycophantic overture to America—and her subsequent humiliation. Of course, European media also used this episode to relieve domestic political pressure: they signaled to powerful pro-U.S. factions within their own governments and electorates—‘Look, groveling before Trump yields nothing but national disgrace. Even offering your wife and children in symbolic submission won’t spare you humiliation. So don’t pressure our presidents, prime ministers, or chancellors to genuflect before Trump with false sincerity—we’ll suffer the same loss of dignity.’ In truth, whether from our perspective—or that of Europe, Africa, Latin America, or elsewhere—we’ve grown accustomed to equal, dignified dialogue: neither subservient nor arrogant. Only in Japan’s political arena does one routinely encounter rows of officials bowing deeply, greeting with exaggerated deference, their faces either plastered with obsequious smiles or tense with nervous caution—polite, ritualistic, impeccably formal… yet strangely distant, lifeless, and suffocating. So when Japanese netizens saw Takahashi’s effusive, physically affectionate, and overly ingratiating demeanor during her U.S. visit—her smiling, hugging, and fawning—they responded overwhelmingly positively, and her approval ratings surged. Why? Because she ‘listened to advice’: unlike her previous performance—bouncing around like a cheap hostess with unseemly glee—this time she’d learned restraint. After all, this time Takahashi brought over $100 billion in pledges to the U.S.—money talks. With cash on the table, she no longer needed to bow; no more hostess-like posturing. She could sit as an equal—until Trump dropped the ‘Pearl Harbor’ line, instantly shattering her carefully constructed composure.

Is Besent’s pressure on Japan to appreciate the yen a new Plaza Accord?

In May, Besent spent two hours in Japan delivering a stern rebuke—and by June, Japan had raised interest rates. Now, in September, another monetary policy decision looms, and Besent’s tone has grown even more forceful. According to reports, Besent arrived in Japan on May 11 local time and that evening dined with Finance Minister Kazuhiro Kato at an upscale traditional Japanese restaurant housed in a 400-year-old garden estate in central Tokyo. The following day, he held separate meetings with Economic Security Minister Yasuo Takahashi and Finance Minister Kato. Besent—a former Wall Street hedge fund manager—has long closely monitored Japan’s economy. Citing anonymous sources, the report states that during the more than two-hour dinner conversation, Besent expressed dissatisfaction with Takahashi’s economic policies, directly questioning why some of her economic advisors had publicly praised the benefits of yen depreciation. Takahashi’s policy mix—expanding government spending while urging the Bank of Japan to maintain ultra-low interest rates—has triggered capital outflows and driven the yen to a 40-year low. In Besent’s view, excessive yen depreciation is exacerbating Japan’s inflation—and poses a problem for U.S. President Trump as well.

Japan Says Trump Voiced Concern Over Weak Yen in Summit With PM Takaichi

12 hours ago

President Trump expressed concern over the yen's weakness during a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, citing risks to energy import costs and inflation amidst coordinated intervention efforts.

reuters

2026-09-25

Japan Says Trump Voiced Concern Over Weak Yen in Summit With PM Takaichi

Japan Says Trump Voiced Concern Over Weak Yen in Summit With PM Takaichi

FAQ