Japanese PM Takaichi Honors U.S. War Dead, Wraps Up Trump Summit

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concluded her first U.S. visit with a solemn tribute at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington on Friday. She laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring unidentified war dead, as the national anthems of Japan and the United States played.

Takaichi arrived in Washington Wednesday night and held her second in-person summit with President Donald Trump at the White House the next day—her first since becoming Japan’s inaugural female prime minister in October.

The talks yielded concrete agreements on defense, economic security, and more, highlighting the strong personal bond between the allies. Fears that the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran might dominate were overshadowed by these productive outcomes.

Trump pressed Japan to “step up” for safer passage through the Iran-blocked Strait of Hormuz, pointing to the nation’s heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil imports via the vital waterway.

Debate swirls over the legality of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting February 28, with critics labeling them preemptive under international law. Takaichi sidestepped legal questions but voiced strong backing for Trump as “the only person who can bring peace and prosperity across the world.”