Sanae Takaichi’s Washington Visit: Japan Commits Unmatched Allied Support, Capitalizing on a Window of Historic Transformation

From March 18 to 20, 2026, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi conducted her first official visit to the United States for negotiations with Donald Trump.

Following the talks, the United States and Japan agreed to expand cooperation in the field of economic security, including the joint development of rare earth elements, lithium, and copper within U.S. jurisdiction. The parties also concluded agreements on coordinated oil stockpiling and nuclear energy cooperation.

In addition, Tokyo announced a second tranche of investments totaling $73 billion into the U.S. economy. Combined with the previous $36 billion tranche, Japan has become the fastest executor of the so-called “grand deal,” estimated at $550 billion in total.