Copyright nytimes
Sanae Takaichi, who last week became the first woman to lead Japan as prime minister, has never met President Trump. She does not play golf, Mr. Trump’s favored sport, nor is she known to share his love of hamburgers. But when Mr. Trump arrives in Tokyo on Monday for a state visit, Ms. Takaichi will have another card to play as she tries to win reassurance from Mr. Trump on trade and security. She is expected to emphasize her connection to Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister assassinated in 2022, who was Ms. Takaichi’s political mentor and who forged a closer bond with Mr. Trump than perhaps any other world leader. “She will be looking to cloak herself in the mantle of Abe to persuade Trump that she is his woman in Asia and a steadfast partner that he can count on,” said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a partner at the Asia Group, a strategic advisory firm. Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.
