After Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who came to power in September, met with U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in February, the two leaders issued a joint statement promising to pursue “a new golden age” for U.S.-Japan relations.
The statement included commitments to cooperate on economic growth, security, and space. Then Trump imposed heavy tariffs on the entire world, including Japan, throwing that commitment to cooperation into question.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Now, however, it seems there may be a way for the two countries to get back on track toward that pursuit of a golden era.
Japan, according to a report this week in Japanese financial newspaper the Nikkei, is “exploring support” for Trump’s so-called “Golden Dome” project—a massive missile-defense system modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome and consisting of a network of satellites, sensors, and interceptors to prevent aerial attacks on the U.S. mainland. Trump promised that the system, which is estimated to cost hundreds of billions if not trillions of dollars, will be operational by the end of his term in 2029.
The report comes after Trump and Ishiba spoke for over an hour across two phone calls last month in which they “exchanged their views on diplomatic and security challenges” and “had a constructive dialogue that will further advance Japan-U.S. cooperation in a wide range of fields, including foreign affairs and security as well as the economy.”
In a statement about the second call on May 29, Ishiba said he wouldn’t comment on the specifics of his discussion with Trump but said “we had a truly candid exchange of views that resulted in each of us further deepening our understanding of the other’s stance. I intend to continue to work together with President Trump to further reinforce the Japan-U.S. alliance and our cooperative relationship, as well as to deepen our relations, through which will be able to play a greater role in fostering world peace, stability, and prosperity.”
Here’s what to know.
What Japan has to offer
Facing increasing regional threats, Japan has in recent years ramped up its national security investments, since former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in December 2022 unveiled the country’s biggest military buildup since World War II, raising its defense budget to be the third-largest in the world, after the U.S. and China.
At the same time, the world’s third-largest economy has faced a demographic crisis that by necessity has spurred technological innovation, including making strides in areas such as AI, robotics, and space—all of which are vital to defense.
In its record $55 billion defense budget for 2025, Japan earmarked about $6 billion for a “standoff” defense system that includes long-range missiles and a satellite network.
Tokyo has also ramped up cooperation with Washington, its only official treaty ally, pledging more than $3 billion this year to purchase missile interceptors and a mobile reconnaissance radar for Okinawa, which hosts a large presence of U.S. military bases.
As Japan makes space surveillance and security a priority—in fiscal year 2026, it plans to launch its first “space domain awareness” satellite—the U.S. Space Force, which has been tasked with leading the development of Trump’s “Golden Dome,” has called the country one of its “closest allies.”
“I believe what you see from the United States is a recognition that throughout our history, we don’t go it alone when deterring conflict,” U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. David N. Miller Jr. said during a visit to Japan in February. “We have found willing and abiding partnerships as fundamental to our ability to deter and ultimately, if necessary, defeat threats and deal with any crises that evolves.”
The U.S. and Japan should collaborate on missile warning and missile defense, Steve Jordan Tomaszewski, vice president of space systems at the Aerospace Industries Association, said during a Center for Strategic and International Studies event in April, National Defense magazine reported. “Golden Dome could be a golden opportunity for collaboration at the end of the day.”
What Japan has to gain
It’s not just defense, however, that is the bedrock of cooperation between the two countries. “Economic security is another area that has become increasingly important in the U.S.-Japan alliance,” according to a policy memo by the Stimson Center, a Washington-based nonpartisan think-tank.
While collaboration on Trump’s “Golden Dome” may help to provide some security assurances to Japan, which is geographically closer to adversaries like North Korea, China, and Russia—all of which have criticized the missile-defense project for escalating a global arms race—according to the Nikkei report, Japan may try to use participation in the project as a “bargaining chip” in trade talks.
Read More: Trump Offers Canada Free ‘Golden Dome’ Protection to Become 51st U.S. State
Japan, which is a highly import-and-export-reliant economy, has urged Trump to lower or altogether nix his tariffs on the country, which include a 25% levy on automotive parts as well as a 24% “reciprocal” tariff, temporarily reduced to 10% until July 8. According to Reuters, the Trump Administration has asked countries to give their best offers in negotiations over the tariffs by Wednesday, June 4.
After his latest call with Trump, Ishiba said Japan’s position on the tariffs has remained unmoved: “The Japanese side has consistently advocated for ‘investment rather than tariffs’ all along. By making investments in the U.S., we will generate employment in the United States while also leveraging Japan-U.S. cooperation to create better products. Japan’s calls to make what can be called a ‘win-win’ relationship have not changed in the slightest.”
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