Trump really may have met his Thatcher doppelganger, only she's tiny, Japanese, and loves baseball.
It was obvious from the president's whirlwind visit to Japan at the end of October that he and newly installed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi were going to get along like peas and cornbread.
There were the expected diplomatic niceties one expects, but then there were ad libbed, downright charming moments, like the two of them being late to a press conference because they were watching the World Series.
Then Trump flew her out to the USS George Washington, where he was scheduled to address the sailors, and the PM hopped up and down like a schoolgirl when he introduced her.
🚨 WATCH: Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is literally joyfully jumping up and down with Trump
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) October 28, 2025
I freaking absolutely LOVE this Prime Minister
The people of Japan are very blessed pic.twitter.com/JAJpcsNdJK
Dang. I mean, the entire visit, for as much as the two leaders accomplished business-wise, was simply infused with the human touch.
Takaichi hasn't let any grass grow under her feet, either. She has taken hold of the reins in Japan with a firm hand.
On the energy front, she's moving forward on the promises she made to Trump regarding investments and joint projects, the details of which are just now coming into focus.
The U.S. and Japan are shedding the paralysis of irrational climate policies with a strategic pact covering rare-earth minerals, critical components for semiconductors and next-generation nuclear reactors.
Forged through the leadership of two no-nonsense politicians – President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi – the clear-eyed agreement abandons more than a decade of energy uncertainty that was marked by unpredictable supply chains, unrealistic net-zero pledges and overreliance on unreliable wind and solar energy. This rightly places energy and industrial strategy at the heart of protecting national sovereignty.
Facing the weaponization of supply chains by Beijing, which controls over 90% of processed rare earths, America’s deal with Japan makes priorities of access to materials and technology, strategic resilience and economic growth and leverages an existing $550 billion investment package between the two countries.
According to a White House fact sheet, Japan and various Japanese companies will invest up to $332 billion in U.S. energy infrastructure, including nuclear reactors, plus up to $50 billion in power equipment through deals involving both U.S. and Japanese companies. Japan reportedly is to have increased access to U.S. markets for technology sales and favorable tariff treatment.
These investments are not for more bird-slicing wind turbines or desert-smothering solar panels, but for practical, reliable electric-generating capability.
The U.S. is to spend $75 billion on data-center infrastructure from three Japanese companies: Mitsubishi Electric, for supply power station systems and equipment; TDK Corp., advanced electronic power components; and Fujikura, Ltd., optical fiber cables.
The U.S.-Japan agreement also includes a multi-year deal valued at over $100 million between Global Coal Sales Group and Tohoku Electric Power for American thermal coal. This is a rational decision by an advanced industrial nation to secure affordable, reliable electricity for its people. Coal remains an indispensable energy source for nations that refuse to sacrifice economic growth at the altar of “decarbonization” dogma.
The deal calls for a Japanese investment of up to $3 billion to construct an ammonia and urea fertilizer manufacturing facility in the United States and another $2 billion to construct a copper smelting and refining plant in the American West.
On the other side of the Pacific, Japan will bolster energy supplies by importing 66 million metric tons of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) each year, making it the second-largest LNG buyer after China.
On the international stage, Takaichi has already caused hackles to rise in Beijing with her unbridled support for Taiwanese independence. During a speech at the beginning of the month, the Japanese prime minister said that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could well trigger a military response from Japan, and, oh, didn't that get knock Chinese noses out of joint.
Everyone else tiptoes around the question - who does she think she is?
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sparked a diplomatic spat with China over remarks last week that a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically-ruled Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.Until now, Japanese leaders have avoided mentioning Taiwan when publicly discussing such scenarios, maintaining a strategic ambiguity also favoured by Tokyo's main security ally, the United States.
Her remarks triggered a threatening post from a Chinese diplomat in Japan, while Beijing lodged a formal protest against what it said was blatant interference in its internal affairs. Beijing claims Taiwan, and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island.What Did Takaichi Say?
Takaichi was asked by an opposition lawmaker in parliament on Friday about "survival-threatening situations", a legal term that allows Japan's premiers to deploy the country's Self-Defense Forces.In response, she gave an example that an attempt to bring Taiwan completely under the control of Beijing using battleships and military force could constitute such a situation.
Whoa, dawg.
Things became so tense that the Japanese Embassy warned Japanese citizens in China to 'use caution' when in crowds and being in public, thanks to the 'deepening diplomatic crisis.'
Japan has warned its citizens in China to step up safety precautions and avoid crowded places, amid a deepening dispute between Asia's two largest economies over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments on Taiwan.Takaichi sparked the most serious diplomatic clash in years when she told Japanese lawmakers this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response.A senior Japanese official met his counterpart in Beijing on Tuesday to try and tamp down the tension, but no breakthrough appeared imminent.China's foreign ministry said Liu Jinsong, head of the ministry's Asia affairs department, had pressed at the meeting for Takaichi to retract her remarks. But Japan's top government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, suggested Tokyo was in no mood to do so.The comments did "not alter the government's existing position," Kihara told a press conference on Tuesday, adding that the government hoped issues concerning Taiwan would be resolved peacefully through dialogue.
There has been mounting pressure from the Chinese government on Takaichi to 'retract' her comments, but Tokyo signaled they weren't in 'the mood to do so.'
It might be a nip or tuck diplomatic 'crisis,' but I think it's frickin' awesome.
The Chinese are revving up the anti-Takaichi propaganda...
China is pissed.
— Taiwan Freedom - 台灣自由 (@TaiwanFreedom89) November 17, 2025
You're about to see a lot of anti Japanese propaganda. Specifically against Sanae Takaichi.
I, for one, do not care what they say.
Im standing with Japan. 🇹🇼🇯🇵
...and just having absolute temper tantrum meltdowns that would outdo anything a two-year-old could throw because Takaichi won't back down.
She said it, it was the truth, and that's that.
In response to PM Takaichi saying the quiet part out loud that Japan would defend Taiwan in the wake of the Chinese Communist Party invading, we've had:
— Oliver Jia (オリバー・ジア) (@OliverJia1014) November 19, 2025
-A Chinese diplomat in Osaka threatening to kill Takaichi, which would be unacceptable from a foreign envoy toward his host… pic.twitter.com/pmoPKzhUrM
...-A Chinese diplomat in Osaka threatening to kill Takaichi, which would be unacceptable from a foreign envoy toward his host country under any circumstances.
-The Chinese foreign ministry threatening to kill Japanese people.
-The Chinese government fear-mongering that their citizens shouldn't go to Japan when they're the ones threatening Japanese lives.
-Chinese state media pushing as much anti-Japanese content as possible, even more than usual.
-China claiming that there are nonexistent mass protests against Takaichi when the majority of Japanese people support solidarity with Taiwan.
-Scores of wumao bot accounts suddenly posting anti-Japanese content and responding en masse to any criticism of the CCP when X is officially banned in China.
-X accounts and foreign shills that are obviously being promoted by the CCP and state media to push idiotic narratives that Japanese sovereignty over Ryukyu is contested, Japan has never evolved past 1945, and that Japanese culture itself isn't real.
-China responding to all criticism with this "woe is me think of our feelings" utter nonsense, the standard playbook from authoritarian countries that have no ground to stand on.
Again, if you can't see that this is a carefully coordinated propaganda campaign, I dunno what else to tell you. Taiwan isn't going anywhere. The CCP knows that a full scale war would be disastrous for the region because it would pull in the U.S. and its allies.
All they can do is throw a tantrum like a petulant child that's being told no. Japan stands with Taiwan. End of story.
But man, oh, man - are the Japanese people loving her.
They are either reposting and howling at Chinese propaganda, calling Takaichi cray-cray.
If there was any doubt Takaichi Sanae is the right leader for Japan in the current day and age, just watch the meltdown China’s talking heads are having.
— Lane Kendall (@lanedeankendall) November 16, 2025
Glorious. 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/GWNkktn5MX
Or they're doing their own kind of anime homages to the heavy metal drumming...
Cartoon on Japan‘s @takaichi_sanae take on China’s aggression pic.twitter.com/IWQvRqiar4
— 巴丢草 Bad ї ucao (@badiucao) November 16, 2025
...motorcycle momma badass they've got for a leader now.
Look at the replies. China’s social media propaganda attacks against Japan only get turned around by Japanese users with excellent memes 😂
— Oliver Jia (オリバー・ジア) (@OliverJia1014) November 18, 2025
(Takaichi is known as a heavy metal and Kawasaki bike enthusiast.) https://t.co/kPtOMsLsiS pic.twitter.com/SC8f8N836H
Survey says?
93.5% of X users in Japan think "No Problem with Sanae Takaichi's Statement." pic.twitter.com/jYefWnfH2V
— Shohei Kondo (@shoheikondo) November 19, 2025
It really is a hoot, and Xi and his minions have to be beside themselves.
WE DON'T WANT YOUR SHRIMPS WAAH
Chinese meltdown at Sanae Takaichi is so pathetic. https://t.co/T2BhRkSLbb
— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) November 19, 2025
What a bold breath of fresh air.
At HotAir, we’ve been dealing with real government suppression of free speech for YEARS. Despite the threats and consequences, we refuse to go silent and remain committed to delivering the truth.
But we can't do it without your support.
Please help Ed, David, John, and me continue fighting back against government censorship by joining our terrific HotAir VIP community today. Use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
And thank you so much again for being here with us at HotAir.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member