Shinzo Abe’s protégé takes the wheel: Here’s why Japan's Takaichi betting on Ford F-150s to woo Trump

Tokyo bets on charm and symbolism to cool trade tensions with Washington ahead of Trump–Xi summit

US President Donald Trump will arrive in Japan on Monday for his first meeting with newly elected Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, who aims to revive the friendly tone that characterised Tokyo’s ties with Washington during the Shinzo Abe era.

Barely a week into office, Takaichi is banking on personal chemistry and symbolic gestures, including a possible government purchase of Ford F-150 pickup trucks, to defuse early trade friction and project warmth toward the US president.

'She has good taste,' Trump quipped aboard Air Force One when reporters asked about the truck idea, according to Associated Press. 'That’s a hot truck.'

A symbolic start to a strategic relationship

For Takaichi, Japan’s first woman prime minister, the encounter is as much about optics as outcomes. Her government has floated the idea of purchasing Ford trucks, a gesture intended to demonstrate goodwill and alleviate pressure from Trump’s demand that allies import more U.S. goods.

Japanese media, cited by Associated Press, have reported that the government may import a limited number of F-150s for the transport ministry’s road inspection work. Officials know the trucks are too large for Tokyo’s narrow streets, but the move could score diplomatic points.

Trade friction and investment politics

At stake is a trade relationship that Trump disrupted earlier this year with new tariffs. Japan’s previous administration agreed to invest $550 billion in the US, a commitment that persuaded Washington to trim its planned tariff on Japanese goods from 25 percent to 15 percent.

Now, Takaichi’s government wants to ensure that Japanese contractors benefit from those investments. Japan’s economy and trade minister, Ryosei Akazawa, said his ministry is drawing up projects in semiconductors and energy to meet the target.

“As far as I know, several Japanese companies are showing interest,” Akazawa told reporters Friday, without elaborating.

Strengthening leverage before the Trump–Xi meeting

The Tokyo visit comes just days before Trump’s scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, a key context not lost on observers.

“In light of the planned meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, Trump may also be considering how he might strengthen his hand by demonstrating the robustness of the US–Japan relationship,” said Kristi Govella, Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Both Washington and Tokyo have been working to counter China’s ambitions in electric vehicles, AI, and advanced chips, areas that could undermine their manufacturing bases.

Takaichi walks a fine line between legacy and identity

Takaichi, who has long identified herself as a protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, has been keen to emphasise her connection to the former leader, a man Trump openly admired.

During their call before the visit, Takaichi told Trump she “looked forward to welcoming him in Tokyo” and thanked him for his efforts to broker the recent Gaza ceasefire.

Trump, in turn, called her “a great friend of Mr. Abe who was a great man,” recalling the personal bond he once shared with the late Japanese leader.

But experts caution that Takaichi must strike her own tone. “Because it’s her first diplomatic engagement, she wants to start with a bang,” said Rintaro Nishimura of The Asia Group. “But leaning too heavily on the Abe line might not help her build her own identity as Japan’s leader.”

The schedule: symbolism meets strategy

Trump’s Japan visit will include meetings with Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Takaichi, followed by a speech aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier and a dinner with top Japanese business leaders.

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda is expected to announce plans to import American-made Toyota models to Japan, another gesture meant to please Washington and underscore corporate goodwill, AP said in the report.