The 2020 presidential election in the United States will likely be one of the most consequential in our lifetime — and Japan, as a key ally of the U.S., is paying very close attention.
U.S. presidential races are always of significant international interest, but given the current polarization and global unrest, the stakes have never felt higher for Tokyo. Given the rise of domestic political uncertainty in Japan, previous arguments positing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the only Japanese leader capable of managing U.S. President Donald Trump, or Republicans as traditionally being “better” for Japan, have become moot.
Now the question of what the impact of the November election will be on U.S.-Japan relations have taken center stage. In a global environment in which the Trump administration has alienated many of Washington’s traditional allies, Japan has remained firmly on America’s side. This is summed up best by a great truism popularized by former Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki: Japan responds to a new American president like one does to a Christmas present. “You don’t say anything until you open it, then say, ‘It’s just what I wanted.’” Thankfully, the relationship between the two countries transcends personalities.