Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hailed a “golden age” between Tokyo and Washington after talks with US President Donald Trump resulted in deals on defense and rare earths.
Relations between the historic allies had strained after Trump imposed steep tariffs on Japan, but Takaichi — who took office this month as her country’s first female leader — has sought to win over the American president by having Japan’s emperor greet him on his visit to Tokyo and by dangling the promise of purchasing US-made trucks.
The agreement to secure access to rare earths may be the most consequential: China, which produces around 90% of the critical minerals and recently tightened export controls, has poor relations with both the US and Japan.