Akazawa’s Appointment as U.S. Tariff Negotiator Raises Concerns; Some within Japan Govt Worried whether He can Handle Task

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:01 JST, April 10, 2025

Ryosei Akazawa’s appointment as the minister in charge of negotiations with the United States over its tariff policy has raised concerns, as he has little diplomatic experience. Some are also worried about whether he is capable of handling such a task.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appointed Akazawa, minister in charge of economic revitalization, on Tuesday. Ishiba and Akazawa have both been elected to House of Representatives from Tottori Prefecture.

The prime minister only has a few close aides, and Akazawa is one of them. Apparently, Ishiba seems to have decided that Akazawa is the right person to lead the negotiations.

“It will be a very difficult negotiation, but I would like to build a relationship of trust between Cabinet members in charge and achieve results as quickly as possible,” Akazawa told reporters on Tuesday at the Diet Building in Tokyo.

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto was previously in charge of negotiations. However, discussions on the latest U.S. tariffs require a response that goes beyond the boundaries between ministries and agencies.

Akazawa was appointed because, as the minister in charge of economic revitalization, he is able to deal with a wide range of economic issues.

In the past, former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi was in charge of trade negotiations with the United States when he was the minister of economic revitalization.

Akazawa has some experience of being involved in Japan-U.S. negotiations when he was a bureaucrat at the transport ministry, but he has no experience being in charge of major diplomatic negotiations as a minister.

There are some within the LDP who are concerned about the appointment.

“[Akazawa] is not as reliable compared to someone like Motegi,” a junior LDP member said.

Regarding the appointment of a negotiator, Ishiba told his aide, “A minister who can coordinate within the Cabinet and has experience negotiating with a U.S. counterpart would be suitable.”

Although there were many people within the government and the ruling block who favored appointing Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who has experience as foreign minister, Ishiba decided it would be difficult for Hayashi to simultaneously be the negotiator and the chief cabinet secretary, who is in charge of the country’s crisis management.

Ishiba probably appointed Akazawa because there does not seem to be other suitable candidates within the Cabinet, and appointing someone from outside the Cabinet would require a reshuffle.

Akazawa has the advantage of being able to work closely with Ishiba.

However, a senior LDP member voiced concern, saying, “If [Akazawa] doesn’t get any results, it will show that the Cabinet is lacking personnel.”