key takeaways
- The United States Supreme Court decision invalidating some of the Trump administration’s tariffs will have little impact on Japan’s approach to the US.
- Instead, the Japanese government is increasingly vulnerable to US pressure, both because of a fundamental strategic asymmetry – Japan needs the US more than the US needs Japan – and because Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s domestic strength could ironically lead the US to demand more from Japan in the bilateral relationship.
- The Takaichi government will continue to prioritize the relationship with the US, but uneasiness with the Trump administration – especially in light of the possibility of a US-China deal that is to Japan’s detriment – could become an issue.
Japan Foresight 