The shift is in who Tokyo is courting. With Washington’s engagement in doubt, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spent the days before a G7 summit in France visiting London and Rome.
It started as a report. The broadcaster NTV said, citing multiple unnamed government officials, that Takaichi intended to stop in Britain and Italy ahead of the mid-June gathering of Group of Seven leaders in France. She was arranging summit meetings in London and Rome. One official cautioned that the British leg remained fluid, and hinged on how British politics played out for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The reason for the pairing was already visible. Japan and those two countries are co-developing a next-generation fighter jet, due in service in the mid-2030s, within Tokyo’s largest military buildup since World War Two.
What happened on the trip
The Asahi Shimbun called the tour an effort to strengthen alliances as the Trump administration engages less. On June 14, Takaichi met Starmer. “We also share the recognition that the security of our respective regions is closely indivisible,” she said. They unveiled a joint economic-security declaration, along with a Frontier Technology Partnership. Japan will put up to 9 billion pounds into British offshore wind, and the two will work together on nuclear technology, fusion included.
In Rome the next day she sat down with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the two used first names. They confirmed cooperation on energy security and announced a memorandum to shore up supply chains in chips, critical minerals and other advanced technology, plus a joint statement on space. Takaichi also welcomed an Italian warship’s scheduled visit to a Japanese port in September.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said Britain and Italy had both pressed for the visits, and that both leaders had visited Tokyo in January. “When looking around for stable, like-minded countries, Japan is being chosen as a trusted nation,” the official said.
She also reaffirmed cooperation with both countries on safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and named them as key partners if Japan sends its Self-Defense Forces. Evian, France, and the G-7 came next.
Sources
- Japan PM Takaichi to visit UK and Italy in June, NTV reports (Reuters via Arab News Japan)
- Japan shores up Britain, Italy alliances amid U.S. uncertainty (Asahi Shimbun editorial)
