U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday (October 29, 2025) welcomed Japan’s determination to accelerate its ongoing military buildup and defense spending.

During a visit to Japan, Mr. Hegseth said he hopes to see those pledges implemented as soon as possible, noting China’s increasingly assertive military activity.

“The threats we face are real, and they are urgent. China’s unprecedented military buildup and its aggressive military actions speak for themselves,” he said. “Make no mistake about it, our alliance is critical to deterring Chinese military aggression, to responding to regional contingencies, and keeping our countries safe.”

Mr. Hegseth said he was “glad” to see Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi — speaking alongside U.S. President Donald Trump this week — make a commitment to increase Japan’s defense spending, calling it “wonderful.”

He said the U.S. government had not demanded Japan’s spending increase.

His comment comes a day after Ms. Takaichi, who became prime minister only last week, explained to Trump during their first summit that her government will raise Japan’s defense spending to 2% of its gross national product by March, two years ahead of initially planned. Japan also plans to revise its ongoing national security strategy several years ahead of schedule.

“It’s an important step forward, and one that we hope would be implemented and believe will be as soon as possible,” Mr. Hegseth told a joint news conference after holding talks with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. “The result, through our shared strength, will deter threats.”

“We’re going to invest now and invest quickly while we still have time,” Mr. Hegseth said.

Mr. Koizumi welcomed the agreement between the two governments to move up deliveries of U.S.-made Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, though he did not give further details.

Japan is seeking to create a more self-sufficient military as a deterrence against China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the region, and has concentrated on defense buildup on its southwestern islands. Japan also has concerns about the rising tensions caused by North Korea and Russia.

Japan has already moved up a planned deployment of its medium and long-range missiles such as Tomahawk and Japanese-made Tupe-12 anti-ship missiles.

These efforts mark a historic shift from Japan’s longstanding policy of limiting use of force to self-defense only under a pacifist Constitution written after World War II.

It made a major break from that policy under the 2022 security strategy that calls for more offensive roles for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and easing restrictions on arms exports. The Takaichi government is also seeking to further relax weapons transfers.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, on Tuesday (October 28, 2025)  signed a framework agreement for securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths through mining and processing, the White House said in a statement.

The agreement was signed during Mr. Trump’s visit to Japan, part of his wider Asia trip, as both countries are looking to strengthen their rare earth supply chains used everywhere from renewable energy to electronics and cars.

The U.S. and Japan plan to cooperate through use of economic policy tools and coordinated investment to accelerate development of diversified, liquid, and fair markets for critical minerals and rare earths, the statement said.

China processes more than 90% of the world’s rare earths and has recently expanded export curbs, including new elements on its control list and tightened oversight of foreign producers that rely on Chinese materials.

The U.S., by contrast, has one operational rare earth mine and is racing to secure minerals vital for electric vehicles, defense systems and advanced manufacturing. Trump plans to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

As part of their deal, the U.S. and Japan agreed to streamline and deregulate permitting timelines and processes for critical minerals and rare earths, as well as to address non-market policies and unfair trade practices.

Both countries would consider a mutually complementary stockpiling arrangement and would cooperate with other international partners to ensure supply chain security, the White House statement added. 

Trump praises Japan’s new prime minister, says US an ‘ally at strongest level’

U.S. President Donald Trump began one of his busiest days of his Asia trip by warmly greeting the new Japanese Prime Minister, with plans to later speak to US troops aboard an aircraft carrier and mingle with business leaders.

“It’s a very strong handshake,” Mr. Trump said, as the pair posed for photos at the Akasaka Palace in downtown Tokyo, before Trump was guided into the ballroom for an honour guard.

They were earlier heard chatting about late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a close political ally of Ms. Takaichi who struck up a bond with Mr. Trump in his first term during hours spent golfing together.

“He was a great friend of mine and a great friend of yours,” Mr. Trump said to Ms. Takaichi as he entered the palace.

Mr. Trump was last at the palace, an ornate residence built in a European style, in 2019 for talks with Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.

He received a royal welcome shortly after his arrival on Monday (October 27), meeting with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace.

Gifting Abe’s golf club

During their meeting, Ms. Takaichi will present Mr. Trump with one of Abe’s golf clubs in a gesture meant to rekindle the close bond the two leaders had formed on golf courses in Japan and the United States, a source familiar with the plan told Reuters.

The source sought anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to the media.

A similar close relationship with the leader of Japan’s key security and trade partner could help Ms. Takaichi bolster her weak political position at home.

Though she has seen a surge in public support since becoming Prime Minister, her coalition government is two votes shy of a majority in parliament’s lower house.

On Tuesday (October 28) afternoon Mr. Trump and Ms. Takaichi will visit the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka near Tokyo, which is home to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of the U.S. military’s powerful presence in the region.

Mr. Trump will meet business leaders in Tokyo, before travelling on Wednesday to South Korea. In talks there with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said he hopes to seal a trade war truce between the world’s two biggest economies

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday (October 15, 2025) that he told Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato that the Trump Administration expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy.

“Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the U.S.-Japan economic relationship and the Administration’s expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Mr. Bessent said on X, after the two met on Wednesday (October 15).

Mr. Bessent and Mr. Kato met on the sidelines of the annual International Monetary Fund meeting, and the G7 and G20 finance leaders’ gatherings held this week in Washington.

“Japan will do what it can based on the basic principle of coordinating with G7 countries to achieve peace in Ukraine in a fair manner,” Mr. Kato told reporters when asked whether Japan was urged to stop importing Russian energy from Mr. Bessent.

The Group of Seven (G7) nations — the U.S., Japan, Canada, Britain, France, Germany and Italy — agreed earlier this month to coordinate and intensify sanctions against Moscow over its war in Ukraine by targeting countries that buy Russian oil and thereby enable sanctions circumvention.