(MENAFN- Live Mint) Donald Trump left for Tokyo on Monday to meet Japan's newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during an Asia tour focused on securing trade agreements, investments, boosting defense spending. This comes amid Japan's reported promise to buy US pickups, soybeans and gas besides US President already securing a $550 billion investment commitment from Japan in return for a pause on steep import tariffs.

As per an AP report, Trump immediately embraced the idea of Ford trucks while flying to Asia on Air Force One. He said,“She has good taste. That's a hot truck.”

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stands next to him aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo, Japan, for the second stop on his Asia tour, October 27, 2025.
President Donald Trump, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.

For Trump, the idea of Ford trucks navigating Tokyo's skyscraper-lined streets would be a victory. The administration has long complained that American vehicles are largely excluded from a market dominated by Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, and Subaru, according to AP. In a September CNBC interview, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Japan wouldn't buy US-branded vehicles because“Chevys” were popular with Japanese gangsters.

Takaichi may arrange for Ford F-150 trucks to be displayed in a location where Trump can see them, according to Japan's Nikkei newspaper. The government is considering importing the trucks for use by its transport ministry to inspect roads and infrastructure, though there are concerns that the F-150 could create congestion on Japan's narrow streets. A Ford spokesperson did not respond to AP's request for comment.

Meanwhile, Takaichi is expected to assure Trump that Tokyo is prepared to take additional steps on security, following her statement to lawmakers on Friday that she plans to accelerate Japan's largest defense buildup since World War II.

During her inaugural press conference last week, Takaichi stated,“The alliance with the United States is the cornerstone of Japan's foreign and security policy.”

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Japan hosts the largest concentration of US forces overseas, and Trump has previously criticised Tokyo for not spending enough on defending its islands against a more assertive China. Although Takaichi has pledged to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP, she may find it difficult to agree to any further increases Trump requests, as her ruling coalition lacks a parliamentary majority, according to Reuters.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his Japanese counterpart, Ryosei Akazawa, the architects of the July tariff agreement, are scheduled to hold a working lunch on Monday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, traveling with Trump along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is also expected to meet his new Japanese counterpart, Satsuki Katayama, for the first time.

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Takaichi, who became Japan's first female prime minister last week, told Trump during their first phone call on Saturday that strengthening the alliance between their countries was her“top priority".

Thousands of police have been deployed throughout Tokyo for Trump's visit, following the arrest of a knife-wielding man outside the US embassy on Friday and an anti-Trump protest planned in downtown Shinjuku, heightening security concerns.

The trip is set to conclude with a summit in South Korea on Thursday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the two largest economies in the world aim to prevent a further escalation of their trade conflict.

(With inputs from agencies)

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