Gearoid Reidy, Columnist

With Trump, Flattery Will Get Takaichi Everything

October 28, 2025 at 8:10 AM UTC

Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas. He previously led the breaking news team in North Asia, and was the Tokyo deputy bureau chief.

Takaichi has rolled out the red carpet for Trump. — Takaichi has rolled out the red carpet for Trump.
Photographer: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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Shinzo Abe enjoyed a combined six years in office before he had to deal with a visit by President Donald Trump to Tokyo. Newly installed prime minister Sanae Takaichi had just over six days.

That’s one reason why Takaichi reached for her mentor’s playbook for dealing with the US president — one that calls for flattery, deference and gold-plated gifts. And it seems to have worked.