What does “great friendship” mean for U.S.–Japan relations under two new leaders? U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Tokyo on Monday, expressing enthusiasm about his first official meeting with Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and hinting at a potential shipbuilding partnership between both nations. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route from Malaysia, where he attended the ASEAN summit, Trump said he looked forward to meeting Takaichi, Japan’s first woman prime minister, and praised her leadership as “phenomenal.”

Trump’s visit begins with a courtesy meeting with Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace, before Tuesday’s high-level talks with Takaichi. The leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation and defense collaboration, including reports of a joint shipbuilding deal aimed at expanding maritime capacity. “We lost that industry, but we’ll get that industry back,” Trump said when asked about U.S. shipbuilding efforts. Takaichi, meanwhile, faces her first major diplomatic test amid her party’s recovery from a recent slush-fund scandal and the rollout of a $550 billion U.S. investment pledge tied to a prior trade deal.

Trump’s two-day visit will include a tour of the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier stationed at Yokosuka Naval Base, followed by a business dinner with Japanese corporate leaders. The trip is being viewed as an opportunity to reaffirm strategic ties between Washington and Tokyo at a time of shifting global trade dynamics. As both leaders prepare to unveil their new partnership, many are asking — will this meeting redefine the future of U.S.–Japan cooperation? Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.