US President Donald Trump arrived in Tokyo on Monday to a ceremonial welcome from Japan’s imperial household, kicking off the second leg of a five-day Asia trip focused on easing trade tensions with China and shoring up alliances across the region.
Trump is expected to meet China’s President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this week, aiming to secure progress toward a truce in the ongoing trade war. Negotiators from both countries hashed out a framework on Sunday to pause steeper US tariffs and Beijing’s controls on rare earth exports, according to US officials.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One before landing in Japan, Trump said he was confident a deal could take shape. “I have a lot of respect for President Xi and I think we are going to come away with a deal,” he said.
Trump greeted Japanese officials on the tarmac before boarding a helicopter for a nighttime tour of Tokyo. His convoy later entered the Imperial Palace grounds, where he met Emperor Naruhito.
The visit marks a return for Trump, who was the first foreign leader to be hosted by Naruhito after the emperor assumed the throne in 2019.
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Trump told reporters he looked forward to talks with Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, whom he praised as “great.” Takaichi took office last week as Japan’s first female leader and has vowed to strengthen ties with Washington.
During a phone call on Saturday, Takaichi described the US-Japan alliance as her “top priority,” according to Japanese officials.
Tokyo has pledged a 550 billion dollar investment package in the United States in exchange for relief from import tariffs. Japan also plans to purchase more US pickup trucks, soybeans and natural gas, sources told Reuters.
Trump and Takaichi will meet Tuesday at the Akasaka Palace, where he previously held talks with Shinzo Abe six years ago. They are expected to be greeted by a military honor guard before announcing new economic agreements, including a memorandum of understanding on shipbuilding.
Japan is preparing its largest defence expansion since World War Two amid growing pressure from Beijing’s military activities in the region. Takaichi has said she wants to speed plans to raise defence spending to two percent of GDP, though her ruling coalition lacks a parliamentary majority and may struggle to go further.
Thousands of police have been deployed across Tokyo during the visit. Authorities arrested a knife-carrying man outside the US Embassy on Friday, and anti-Trump protests are scheduled in the Shinjuku district.
Trump is due to depart Japan on Wednesday for Gyeongju in South Korea, where he will hold talks with President Lee Jae-myung. Bessent said discussions with Seoul are “largely complete,” though a final deal is not expected this week.