Dear Mr Japan: Is Trump blowing up Japan-U.S. relations?
In this edition of Japan Today Spotlight, we dig into the latest tensions between Japan and the United States as the bilateral relationship comes under renewed strain.
U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply escalated pressure on Japan in recent weeks — calling the country 'very spoiled,' demanding a rise in defense spending, and sending a formal letter confirming that 25% tariffs on Japanese car exports will begin Aug 1. He has also criticized Japan's rice imports, suggested the country should buy more American oil, and stirred ridicule online by saying he would send a letter beginning with 'Dear Mr Japan.'
For Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the timing could not be worse. With the July 20 upper house election fast approaching, he is struggling to hold his ground — and hold together a decades-old alliance that suddenly feels very uncertain.
Watch the full episode here:
What do you think?
Is this just a rocky moment in the Japan–U.S. relationship, or are we watching it begin to break down in real time? Let us know in the comments!
Chapters:
0:00 Topic overview
1:21 The first signs of trouble
2:32 Trump goes off-script again
4:38 Tension with cars, rice and now oil
5:08 Japan pushes back on U.S. demands
6:02 Can this alliance be saved?
9:46 Your take on Japan–U.S. ties
9:46 Outro
Japan Today sources:
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