When Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives in Washington this month to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, she will face the most complex diplomatic puzzle of her tenure.

As the leader of the Indo-Pacific’s most capable middle power, she must protect Japan’s national interests by locking in American engagement, not just for the duration of the Trump administration but also for the post-Trump era.

To succeed, Takaichi must deploy a disciplined mix of flattery and hard deliverables, demonstrating to the transactional 47th U.S. president that Tokyo is taking its own security seriously and that Making America Great Again is directly contributing to making Japan great again, a synergistic interaction that benefits both countries domestically and internationally.

© The Japan Times