Japan’s postwar peace and prosperity have been built on the assumption that the alliance with the United States is sustainable and predictable. The presidency of Donald Trump changed that for Japan and other U.S. allies.
Trump challenged the rationale for alliances, cajoled allies and competitors into trade deals, and pursued bilateral ties transactionally with little regard for the long-established relationships, protocols or shared values.
In many capitals around the world, the private hope was that Trump was an aberration and that the United States would return to its senses with a new president. Despite this view, Tokyo and other allies certainly appreciated Trump’s tougher line on China.