Politics & Government

Akazawa Says He Felt Pressure During Meeting With Trump; U.S. President Asked to Attend 2025 Expo

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa speaks at a press conference after talks with U.S. officials in Washington on Wednesday

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:50 JST, April 19, 2025

Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief negotiator on U.S. tariff policy, said he felt pressure he had never felt before during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

Akazawa made the statement in a video posted on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s official website on Friday. He met the president on Wednesday.

According to Akazawa, Trump first asked whether he could speak a bit and started talking fervently about his demands for Japan without looking at any notes.

“The president’s priorities are becoming clear,” Akazawa said without mentioning what Trump specifically said.

The minister also revealed that he had presented a gold-colored money box featuring Myaku-Myaku, mascot of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, to the president and asked him to visit the event.