Tokyo: US President Donald Trump began his visit to Japan on Monday, meeting Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo ahead of talks with newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is seeking to cultivate a strong personal rapport with the American leader to ease trade tensions.

Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, assumed office last week amid a fragile coalition and faces an early diplomatic test during Trump’s Asia tour. Her government has reportedly floated the idea of purchasing a fleet of Ford F-150 trucks — a symbolic gesture aimed at bolstering ties with Washington, though one that may prove impractical given Japan’s narrow streets.

“She has good taste. That’s a hot truck,” Trump said aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo after praising the proposal.

After arriving in Japan from Malaysia, where he attended a regional summit, Trump was welcomed at the Imperial Palace by Emperor Naruhito, whom he last met in 2019. The two held a 30-minute meeting before Trump described the emperor as “a great man.”

Takaichi spoke with Trump by phone during his flight on Saturday, underscoring her connection to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a longtime Trump ally. She told reporters she praised Trump’s role in securing a Gaza ceasefire deal and said she “extremely looked forward” to welcoming him to Tokyo. “He remembers me as a politician whom Prime Minister Abe really cared about,” Takaichi said.

Behind the cordial exchanges lies a renewed effort to recalibrate the US–Japan trade relationship. Earlier this year, Trump’s administration imposed tariffs while urging allies to increase US imports and invest in American industry. Japan had already pledged $550 billion in US investments in chips and energy, which prompted Trump to scale back planned tariffs from 25% to 15%. Tokyo now seeks to channel more of that investment toward Japanese contractors and suppliers.

Commerce discussions will feature prominently during Trump’s Tuesday meeting with Takaichi, followed by a dinner with industry leaders, including Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, who may announce plans to import American-made vehicles to Japan. The government is also weighing the use of imported Ford F-150 trucks for infrastructure inspections — a move that would symbolically highlight growing auto cooperation.

Analysts say Trump’s stop in Tokyo serves a dual purpose: strengthening the bilateral partnership while positioning the US for his upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. “Trump may be looking to showcase the resilience of US–Japan ties as he prepares for his meeting with Xi,” said Kristi Govella of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Following his meeting with Takaichi, Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier and host a dinner with top executives. He is expected to depart for South Korea on Wednesday and said he remains open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while in the region. “If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Trump told reporters.

With inputs from AP