‘Stop the fawning’: Takaichi divides Japan over high-flattery wooing of Trump

When Sanae Takaichi welcomed Donald Trump to Tokyo this week, she did so with a blend of deference and purpose that has divided opinion in Japan.

While detractors derided her overzealous flattery of the US president and warned against pandering to power, many at home saw a Japanese prime minister deftly securing her nation’s interests amid Trump’s unpredictability.

“Takaichi’s strategy was clear from the outset,” said Tsutomu Harada, a retired businessman from Tokyo. “It was to make use of the chemistry that existed between Trump and former prime minister [Shinzo] Abe and then build on that.‘’

Abe was the first foreign leader to seek and arrange a meeting with Trump after his 2016 election victory, going on to cultivate a close working relationship through personal gestures like gifting golf clubs and engaging in frequent direct communication.

Observers say Takaichi seized the opportunity to highlight her close ties to her former mentor, who was assassinated in 2022, and attempt to win Trump’s favour.