Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, came to the Oval Office on Thursday well aware that things could go badly, given President Trump’s repeated complaints that America’s allies are not helping with the war in the Middle East.
But she managed to get through the visit to the White House — her first as prime minister — largely unscathed, avoiding the scorn that Mr. Trump has unleashed on European allies and highlighting areas of cooperation, including up to $73 billion in Japanese investments in energy projects in the United States.
Ms. Takaichi leaned on charm, the tactic she has used consistently with the president. She heaped praise on Mr. Trump. “I firmly believe it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world,” she said. She held her tongue through his jokes, including an eyebrow-raising one about Pearl Harbor. And she tried to highlight common interests in trade and defense.
Mr. Trump reciprocated, calling Ms. Takaichi, a conservative politician who last fall became the first woman elected as Japan’s prime minister, a “very popular, powerful woman.” He praised Japan, saying, “They are really stepping up to the plate.”
It was a striking contrast to his recent criticism of European allies for rejecting his demands for military support to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been shut because of the war, causing a global energy crisis.
Ms. Takaichi “knew what the moment called for, and she executed,” said Sheila A. Smith, a senior fellow and an expert on Japan at the Council on Foreign Relations. The meeting was a win for Japan, Ms. Smith said, “especially when you compare it to what it could have been like with Trump a few days ago.”
Still, Ms. Takaichi’s success could be short-lived. Japan imports almost all its energy, and about 95 percent of its oil comes from the Middle East. When she returns home, she will face the war’s ongoing ripple effects, including record-high gasoline prices, which have stoked public anger and threatened her domestic agenda.
And as the war continues, Mr. Trump is likely to keep putting pressure on Japan and other allies to send warships and minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz, analysts said.
“She dodged a bullet this time,” Ms. Smith said, “but I’m not sure the allies are off the hook entirely.”
Japan last year committed to investing $550 billion in the United States in exchange for relief from Mr. Trump’s tariffs. Ms. Takaichi on Thursday unveiled the second round of investments, including the construction of nuclear reactors in Alabama and Tennessee, as well as natural gas facilities in Texas and Pennsylvania.
She arrived in Washington looking for a way to signal support for Mr. Trump and the United States, Japan’s main ally, without getting entangled in the war.
In the Oval Office, she immediately brought up Iran, telling Mr. Trump in English, “My visit is timely, given the current situation.” She proposed a U.S.-Japan oil reserve, though she did not provide details when speaking to reporters later.
In dealing with Mr. Trump, Ms. Takaichi deployed flattery, taking a page from her mentor, Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese prime minister, who was assassinated in 2022. Mr. Abe built a close connection with Mr. Trump and became known as a Trump whisperer, tapping into the president’s love of golf, hamburgers and adulation.
Ms. Takaichi brought to Washington the same interpreter that Mr. Abe had used, a foreign ministry official of whom Mr. Trump is fond. (On Thursday, Mr. Trump again praised the official, saying, “You have a very good interpreter who I’ve known for a long time, with Shinzo.”)
Before the meeting, Japanese officials were concerned that Mr. Trump might be too distracted by the war to listen to Japan’s concerns about China. Beijing has led a monthslong campaign against Tokyo over a remark Ms. Takaichi made in support of Taiwan, a self-governed democracy that China considers parts of its territory.
But Mr. Trump addressed the issue head on in response to a reporter’s question, asking Ms. Takaichi for an update. He said he knew the relationship between China and Japan was “edgy.”
“Japan has been consistently open to dialogue with China,” Ms. Takaichi replied, to Mr. Trump’s comment. “We have been addressing our relations with China in a calm manner.”
Mr. Trump said he would be “speaking Japan’s praises” when he meets with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, at a war-delayed summit in Beijing. The comment was seen as a diplomatic win for Japan.
Throughout the day, Ms. Takaichi worked assiduously to deepen her relationship with Mr. Trump.
At dinner, she complimented Mr. Trump’s looks and offered birthday wishes to his youngest son, Barron. Mr. Trump congratulated Ms. Takaichi on her recent electoral landslide.
Luke Collin, a principal at the Asia Group, an advisory firm, and a former National Security Council official, said Ms. Takaichi’s strategy seemed to work for Japan in a difficult environment.
“If they can walk away feeling like they built more of a rapport with him and had decent optics,” he said, “they will probably think that is the best they can do.”
Javier C. Hernández is the Tokyo bureau chief for The Times, leading coverage of Japan and the region. He has reported from Asia for much of the past decade, previously serving as China correspondent in Beijing.
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