Hayami Asana posted on X today:
"I sincerely appreciate President Trump's warm words. I look forward to visiting the White House this spring and continuing to work together to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance."
Our alliance and friendship with the United States are built on deep trust and close, strong cooperation. The potential of our alliance is limitless.
Let us work together to ensure that the Japan-US alliance continues to bring peace and prosperity to both countries and the world."
On February 6, 2026, Trump posted on social media, clearly supporting Hayami Asana and her ruling coalition, calling her "strong, wise, and loving Japan," and inviting her to visit the U.S. on March 19. This move was seen as a rare intervention in Japan's internal affairs, aiming to consolidate the advantage of the conservative camp.
On February 8, during the House of Representatives election, the Liberal Democratic Party achieved an overwhelming victory (expected to win 274-328 seats). Hayami immediately re-posted Trump's post, responding with "sincerely thank you for the warm words," confirming the spring visit to the U.S., and emphasizing that the alliance has "infinite potential."
Hayami Asana's urgent desire to visit the United States stems from her need for U.S. support to advance her agenda, such as amending the constitution (to break the 2% GDP limit on defense spending) and militarizing the Self-Defense Forces. Previously, she had pledged a $55 billion investment and opened the agricultural market to the U.S., and plans to deepen cooperation in areas such as rare earth supply chains and artificial intelligence.
Trump has positioned the Japan-US alliance as the "core of the Indo-Pacific strategy," demanding Japan bear more defense costs (such as the expenses for U.S. troops stationed in Japan). Behind his support for Hayami, it aims to lock in the benefits of trade agreements, expand arms sales (Japan has already placed orders for new equipment), and use Japan to counter China.
This visit continues the alliance framework established during the Abe-Trump era, but Hayami's radical right-wing agenda (such as promoting "nuclear sharing") may break traditional boundaries.
Meanwhile, Trump's business-style "art of transaction" (such as supporting first and then seeking compensation) will make the March meeting a test of the true resilience of the alliance.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856590871734284/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.