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Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is arranging to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president on Jan. 20, a government source said Friday, as the Asian nation rushes to build ties with the incoming administration in its most important ally.
The trip is apparently intended to lay the groundwork for talks between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump after the latter is sworn in for the second time as U.S. leader. The Japanese government has received an invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony, the source said.
When he visits the United States, Iwaya intends to explore the possibility of talks with Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been nominated for U.S. secretary of state and is awaiting Senate confirmation, according to the source.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya holds talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 25, 2024. (Kyodo)
During his first press conference of the year on Monday, Ishiba expressed his intention to meet with Trump “at the most appropriate time and in an appropriate form,” without providing a specific time frame.
Ishiba looked into the possibility of an in-person meeting with Trump in November, on his way back to Japan from a trip to South America. But it was not realized as, according to the Japanese government, Trump’s side cited legal constraints preventing the next U.S. president from meeting with foreign leaders before his inauguration.
Since then, however, Trump has held talks with other world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Ishiba also sought to travel to the United States in mid-January. But the idea was shelved, with some Japanese government officials insisting that a “long talk” in a formal summit meeting after Trump assumes office would be more beneficial.
In December, Trump met with Akie Abe, the widow of slain former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Shinzo Abe, including through his “golf diplomacy,” succeeded in building a personal rapport with Trump, who was first elected in 2016 with no experience of public office and proved to be unpredictable and unconventional in his dealings with world leaders.
U.S. media have reported that State Department records dating back to 1874 show that no foreign leader has attended a U.S. president’s inauguration. In the past, ambassadors and senior officials represented their countries at the transfer-of-power ceremonies.
Among the Group of Seven nations, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday she has been invited and is considering attending the event if her schedule permits.
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