The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on its front page that Prime Minister Takahashi met with U.S. President Trump on the 28th to discuss Japan's increased defense spending. According to several Japanese government officials. Although he did not specify the exact scale of the increase, he hoped to convey his intention to increase the amount to Trump, and understand Japan's efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities, as Trump is urging allies and like-minded countries to take on more burden.

Trump arrived at Haneda Airport on the evening of the 27th by the presidential aircraft "Air Force One." This was his fourth visit to Japan as president since June 2019. It will be the first time since the beginning of the second administration, and he will visit Japan as an official working guest. After arriving, Trump met with Emperor Naruhito at the palace.

The leaders of the two countries will hold their first face-to-face meeting on the morning of the 28th to discuss strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance and international situations. In a speech expressing his belief on the 24th, the Prime Minister announced that he would achieve the goal of increasing defense spending to 2% of GDP (GDP) in the fiscal year 27, including the budget for the Japan Coast Guard, in the supplementary budget for security-related expenditures in this fiscal year. He also announced the early revision of three security documents, including the "National Security Strategy," which sets the target of raising the goal, and the Prime Minister will explain a series of policies to Trump.

Most importantly, the Prime Minister intends to convey the policy of continuing to increase defense spending even after achieving the target. Since increasing defense spending requires a large amount of financial resources, coordination within the government and between the ruling and opposition parties is needed, so this meeting will not intervene in the scale of the increase, but will make adjustments in the future.

In addition to confirming that the United States will steadily implement the investment of $55 billion (about 8.4 trillion yen) to the U.S. based on the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiation agreement, it is expected to reach a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in advanced technology and shipbuilding fields, as well as the resilience of the supply chain (supply network) of key mineral resources such as rare earths.

Before arriving in Japan on the 27th, Trump told reporters that he "looked forward to meeting the Prime Minister." On the 27th, the Japanese Prime Minister posted on his X (formerly Twitter) in both Japanese and English, saying, "I look forward to discussing further strengthening the great Japan-U.S. alliance."

On October 20, 2025, the Nikkei 225 index reached as high as 48,657.01 points during the day, setting a new historical high. This rise was mainly influenced by political negotiations: the prospect of the ruling of Sanae Takeda, the president of the Liberal Democratic Party, became clear, and the market's expectations for her fiscal expansion policy increased.

Additionally, the newspaper paid attention to the Tokyo stock market this week on October 27, where the Nikkei average index (225 types) closed at 50,512 points, up 1,212 points (2.46%) from the previous weekend. The price rose for two consecutive workdays, entering the 50,000-point range for the first time in history.

Regarding the U.S. stock market over the weekend, due to the rising expectation of the Federal Reserve (Fed) lowering interest rates, all major indices rose. In the Tokyo market, which follows the trend, nearly 90% of the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime stocks increased, almost a full-scale rise.

Notably, the rise in semiconductor-related shares, which have a significant impact on the Nikkei average index, attracted attention and boosted the market. The easing of concerns about the China-U.S. trade friction and the high popularity of the Kato Cabinet, which advocates aggressive economic policies, also accelerated investors' buying spree.

The Tokyo Price Index (TOPIX) reached a new high of 3,325.05 points, rising 55.60 points, or 1.70%.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847232071070880/

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