Why Trump's Demand for Warship Support Put Japan in a Bind

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi caught a break when US President Donald Trump backed away from a demand for Japan to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But the incident highlighted the challenges Takaichi faces as she tries to nudge Japan away from its pacifist postwar stance toward a more robust military doctrine to confront growing geopolitical risks.

Those tensions will be on display again when Takaichi meets Trump for talks at the White House on Thursday. The president may still attempt to extract military commitments from Takaichi. Even if he doesn’t, Japan’s government is under pressure to take some kind of action. The country is a major importer of oil from the Middle East and faces a potential economic shock if the Hormuz shipping route remains closed.