Japanese officials headed to Washington for tariff talks and the stakes are high — not just for Tokyo, but for the world.

The Asian nation is the canary in the tariff coal mine. If it can’t secure a good deal, there’s little hope for others.

Ryosei Akazawa, minister for economic revitalization and a longtime ally of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, is leading the negotiating team and says there’s no point in anything other than a win-win deal that boosts the interests of both countries.