Photo/Illutration Ryosei Akazawa, the minister of economic revitalization, speaks with reporters on April 16 prior to departing for the United States for tariff negotiations with the Trump administration. (Wataru Sekita)

Ryosei Akazawa, a close ally of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, departed for the United States on April 16 for crucial discussions with U.S. officials about reciprocal and other tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. 

“The results of a negotiation are heavily influenced by the relationship of trust between the negotiators,” Akazawa, the minister of economic revitalization, told reporters prior to leaving. “I want to construct a relationship of trust. I believe good negotiations can be held that produce a win-win relationship benefiting both Japan and the United States.”

Akazawa was chosen as point man in the tariff negotiations on April 11.

Representing Washington are U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Both have indicated that they will raise such topics as Japan’s nontrade barriers, foreign exchange policy and opening up the Japanese market to U.S. farm products, all of which have been pointed to as problematic by U.S. President Donald Trump.

But because it is still not clear what Trump is seeking from Japan and due to Ishiba’s stance of not rushing to reach an agreement, Akazawa has said this first meeting will be to establish the contour of the negotiations.

Trump announced a second set of reciprocal tariffs with differing rates by nation on April 9. A 24-percent reciprocal tariff was announced for Japan, but was followed by another announcement just 13 hours later delaying its implementation for 90 days.

However, a 25-percent tariff on automobile imports remains in place, meaning a major goal of Akazawa’s trip will be gaining an exemption on that tariff since the automobile industry is a core segment of the Japanese economy.

While Bessent said Japan was the first in line for negotiations that other nations have also requested, some government officials said they also wanted to see what other foreign governments plan to do.

(This article was written by Chinami Tajika and Naofumi Ishikawa.)

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