Published: 5:03pm, 27 Oct 2025Updated: 5:07pm, 27 Oct 2025
US President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, telling reporters he was excited for his meeting with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the prospect of completing a joint deal to promote shipbuilding capacity.
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“I look forward to meeting the new prime minister. I hear phenomenal things,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew from Malaysia, where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.
Trump sidestepped questions about what corporate leaders he planned to meet while in Tokyo or the details of any economic deals, saying simply he planned to announce “great friendship”.
Asked about reports the US and Japan would announce a shipbuilding accord, Trump said the US wanted “more ships”.
“We lost that industry, but we’ll get that industry back,” he said.
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The meeting is a high-stakes test for Takaichi, who was selected by lawmakers to become Japan’s first woman prime minister earlier this month.