Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya to Attend Trump’s Inauguration; Japan Aims to Make Building Relations with Incoming Administration a Priority

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:11 JST, January 11, 2025

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya plans to attend the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on Jan. 20, according to government sources.

Iwaya received an invitation from the United States and accepted, the sources said Friday.

If the appointment of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has been nominated for secretary of state in the Trump administration, is confirmed by the U.S. Congress by the time of Iwaya’s visit, the Japanese government intends to arrange a meeting between the two foreign chiefs.

Japan also hopes to use Iwaya’s visit as an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a summit meeting between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump. It has been coordinating to hold the meeting in February, the sources added.

Foreign ministers and ambassadors from various countries are expected to attend the inauguration. By sending Iwaya to the United States, Japan aims to make clear that it intends to focus on building relations with the incoming Trump administration.

Iwaya is also seeking to meet with other high-ranking Trump administration officials. Through the expected series of talks, he hopes to share with the United States his view on the need to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance and strengthen economic cooperation.

Iwaya, who visited China in December last year, is also expected to align his views on China with those of the United States, the sources said.

Final arrangements are being made for a Japan-U.S. summit in the United States as early as the first half of February, they added.

If talks are realized between Iwaya and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who was tapped to serve as Trump’s national security adviser, they may coordinate the agenda for the meeting.