The U. S. and Japan announced a joint moon mission — but seemed to postpone pressing trade and security issues.
On Tuesday, President Trump returned to Washington after a four-day visit to Japan. His trip came at the dawn of a new era in the country — after the first abdication of a Japanese emperor since 1817 and the ascension of Emperor Naruhito to the throne.
By inviting Trump to be the first foreign leader to meet with the new emperor, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe showcased how his country prioritizes its relationship with the United States — and with Trump specifically, who boasted last week about being “the guest of honor at the biggest event that they’ve had in over 200 years.”
Abe’s “charm offensive” was in full swing. Aside from Trump’s meeting with Emperor Naruhito and political photo ops, the Japanese government put together an impressive schedule designed to appeal to the president’s tastes and cultivate personal relations between the two leaders, including ringside seats at a sumo tournament, golf, double cheeseburgers made with American beef and dinner at a traditional charcoal grill restaurant.
The key takeaways? Predictably, the visit was more about ceremony than about policy substance, but it highlighted important dimensions of current U. S.-Japan relations.
1. U. S.-Japan trade talks have been temporarily delayed
While the media attention has focused on U. S.-China trade, U. S.-Japan bilateral trade talks are also ongoing. Abe and Trump did not discuss substantive details of a U. S.-Japan pact, but they did address timing. Both agreed to “accelerate” the trade talks in line with the U. S. desire to conclude an agreement as soon as possible — but Trump also publicly commented that the deal would wait until after July. This delay is significant because it allows Abe to steer clear of controversial concessions to the United States until after he has finished navigating a potential double election.
Trump has incentive to help Abe politically, since ensuring stable government seems likely to help smooth the negotiation process. And if Japan offers enough of the right kind of concessions in politicized sectors such as agriculture and automobiles, this could also help Trump to please his own domestic audiences.
