Japan Considering Taking Part in U.S. ‘Golden Dome’ Defense System; Takaichi May Convey Position to Trump at Summit Meeting

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:30 JST, March 13, 2026

The government is set to tell the United States that Japan is willing to take part in Washington’s “Golden Dome” next-generation missile defense system, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi could convey this position to U.S. President Donald Trump at their summit meeting scheduled to be held in Washington next week, according to multiple Japanese government sources.

The government aims to work closely with the United States on the joint development of interceptor missiles and the creation of a satellite network that will bolster the ability to deal with such threats as hypersonic glide vehicles, which are being developed by China and Russia.

Takaichi is set to hold talks with Trump at the White House on Thursday. It will be Takaichi’s first visit to the United States since becoming prime minister in October.

At the meeting, the leaders are expected to discuss the envisioned missile defense system that the Trump administration will start operating before January 2029. Takaichi is expected to tell Trump that Japan is willing to take part in the project, according to the sources.

The Golden Dome will aim to deploy spaced-based interceptor systems to protect the United States from missile attacks. This defense system is intended to shoot down drones and hypersonic glide vehicles that can fly at more than five times the speed of sound.

The Japanese government aims to participate in the project in the hope that it will also be used for defending Japan.

The Japanese and U.S. governments are pushing ahead with the joint development of “glide phase interceptors,” a new type of missile for neutralizing hypersonic glide vehicles. Both countries aim to complete development of these interceptors in the 2030s.

During their meeting, Takaichi and Trump are expected to confirm that both sides will steadily move forward with the joint development project, the sources said.

The Japanese government plans to complete a “satellite constellation” — a network of small satellites that operate in unison to collect information — by the end of March 2028. These satellites can constantly detect and track moving targets and will be launched in stages from April.

The government hopes that taking part in the Golden Dome system will also promote satellite information sharing with the U.S. military.