Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election casts a spell of uncertainty over Japan's relations with the United States perhaps not seen ahead of the inauguration of any previous American president in recent decades. Along with much of his foreign policy, Trump's views on U.S. ties with Japan seem to remain largely unclear — except for his campaign remarks about seeking to get America's allies, including Japan, to pay more for the cost of their security alliances and pledges to pull the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, which the Abe administration is rushing to get ratified in the Diet over the resistance of the opposition despite the dwindling chances of the trade pact entering into force.
As it explores bilateral relations with the incoming U.S. administration, the Japanese government may not be able to count on business as usual, given the changing dynamics of American politics and popular sentiments that propelled Trump to his upset win over Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. But the government also needs to avoid being swayed by what the president-elect has said or will say. Rather, the uncertainty should give a chance for Japan — not just the government but the public as well — to stop and think how we like to proceed in our relations with the U.S., including the security alliance.
The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, apparently caught off guard with Trump's upset win, has wasted no time in trying to approach the new president-elect and his team. Abe ordered his close aide to fly to Washington next week to contact members of Trump's prospective staff. The prime minister held brief telephone talks with Trump the morning after the election win and agreed that they should seek to meet in New York next Thursday on his way to Peru to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru.