Overview
- Japan has informally asked the United States about a possible late-March visit by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for talks with President Donald Trump, with no date confirmed.
- An initial January proposal did not come together, and a later timetable would follow likely Diet approval of the first fiscal 2026 budget.
- The schedule could slip into April or beyond depending on U.S. availability, according to a government source.
- Tokyo aims to align positions before Trump’s expected April talks in China and to relay concerns over a more assertive Beijing after Takaichi’s Taiwan-related remarks.
- Expected agenda items include economic-security cooperation on rare-earth supply chains, specifics on a $550 billion U.S. investment package linked to a tariff deal, and Japan’s planned defense spending increases.