Japan to Persistently Explain Alliance Benefits to Trump; Security Treaty Requires Provision of Bases to U.S.

By Kenta Kamimura and Tsuyoshi Oyabu / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

2:00 JST, March 11, 2025

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and is calling for Japan to increase its defense spending. The Japanese government hopes to gain the understanding of Washington by persistently explaining the benefits that their alliance brings to the United States and how Japan has made efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities.

“Japan is obliged to provide bases for the United States,” said Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at a House of Councillors Budget Committee meeting on Friday. “How significant a role does it play in U.S. global strategy? We need to have a proper conversation about it,” Ishiba continued emphatically.

The prime minister’s comment that Japan is not in a relationship in which it is unilaterally protected was in response to Trump’s remarks on Thursday. The U.S. president told reporters, “We have to protect them [Japan], but they don’t have to protect us.”

Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty stipulates that both countries will jointly respond to an armed attack on Japan, and Article 6 allows the U.S. military to use facilities and areas in Japan. The United States does not unilaterally assume the obligation to defend Japan, and Japan is also required to provide bases to the U.S.

Elbridge Colby, the Trump administration’s nominee to become under secretary of defense for policy, argued on March 4 that Japan should increase its defense spending to at least 3% of its GDP. Calls for Japan to increase its burden for defense may grow stronger.

Trump also hinted at his frustration at being economically disadvantaged by Japan, saying, “they make a fortune with us economically.” These feelings may have led to his remarks about security.

“We don’t understand the intention behind Trump’s remarks,” said a senior Foreign Ministry official, expressing confusion. A senior official at the Defense Ministry also speculated, “He must have remembered an issue he had had for some time.”

Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with the treaty during his first term, calling it “unequal.”

In reality, Japan has been working on establishing legislation that enables it to play an active role in contributing to the alliance.

In 2015, Japan enacted security-related laws that allow for the limited exercise of the right of collective self-defense. The Self-Defense Forces have also become able to provide protection for U.S. vessels during exercises.

Trump said Japan does not need to defend the United States “under any circumstances,” but the reality is that Japan and the United States are able to help each other in order to protect Japan, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.

In 2018, during Trump’s first term, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe explained to him an example of MSDF vessels escorting a U.S. aircraft carrier instead of U.S. vessels.

Abe explained this to Trump while playing golf together in Florida, and Trump, who was unaware of the situation, expressed his gratitude to Abe.

But even if Trump is convinced, he may revert to his old complaints.

Arrangements are underway for U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to visit Japan and meet with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani as early as the end of this month.

The Japanese government is planning to use this opportunity to explain its efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities and to increase purchases of defense equipment from the United States, in order to gain greater understanding within the Trump administration.

“During his first term, Trump was persuaded by Abe, who explained that the alliance benefits the United States by stabilizing the Indo-Pacific region,” said a senior official of the Defense Ministry. “All we can do is keep on explaining the same things to him.”