Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing a package of US goods including Ford pickups, soybeans and LNG to strengthen trade ties with Washington as China sharply reduces American imports amid an escalating trade rift.

On Tuesday, Sanae Takaichi, 64, won election as Japan’s prime minister, the first woman to do so in the nation’s history.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in her first major policy speech on Friday, pledged to further accelerate Japan’s military buildup and spending, and an early upgrading of the country’s security strategy to allow more offensive roles and arms exports as tensions rise with China,

Margaret Thatcher-san? In many ways, Takaichi will be a natural partner for President Donald Trump in the region, but has promised to closely guard Japan's national interest, especially under the U.S.

The two leaders will sit down in Tokyo during Trump early next week, in his first visit to Japan since his re-election following an agreement by her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, to invest as much as $550 billion in the U.S. in return for lower auto tariffs.

For most of her life, Sanae Takaichi has loved heavy metal. As Japan’s first female leader, she has many reasons to reach for her sticks

President Donald Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday, and much attention has gone to disputes over trade and defense spending. Yet the most important issue has remained below the radar: Taiwan.

A former senior U.S. defense official said that while he supports a push for Japan to increase its defense spending, the United

However, she will not commit to any new defence spending target at the meeting with the US leader. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The USS George Washington returned to Yokosuka Naval Base less than three weeks after resuming its annual patrol and just ahead of President Trump’s visit to Japan.

Sanae Takaichi has become Japan's first female prime minister, a significant milestone in the country's male-dominated political landscape.