Amid a trade war over tariffs with China and an ongoing government shutdown, President Donald Trump is heading out east to Asia on a mission to try to resolve at least one of his issues.
Trump left the White House on Friday night en route to his first stop, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The president’s overseas trip comes as the government shutdown enters its 25th day with no deal in sight. The now second-longest shutdown in the history of the United States is about a week and a half away from breaking the record set during Trump’s first term in office, which was 36 days.
More: Will Trump cancel his Asia trip due to the government shutdown? Democrats say he should.
Apart from a closed government, Trump is also facing retaliatory tariffs implemented by China after Trump threatened to nearly triple tariffs on Chinese imports on Nov. 1 unless he reaches a new trade deal with the country.
One of Trump’s stops during his Asia visit is Japan. Here is what you need to know about his visit to the country.
When is Trump going to Japan?
Japan is set to be the second of the three Asian countries visited by Trump. His trip is set to begin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday, Oct. 26, before the president arrives in Japan on Monday, Oct. 27.
In Japan, Trump is set to hold talks on Tuesday morning local time, Oct. 28, with the new Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi.
Takaichi is the first female prime minister in the history of Japan, a hard-line conservative. The 64-year-old is a member of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). According to NBC News, Takaichi opposes same-sex marriage and opposes a change to Japanese law that would make it easier for married women to keep their maiden names.
More: Trump heads to Asia aiming for trade deal with China. Could farmers lose a key customer?
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech at the House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on October 24, 2025.
In a Saturday press conference, Takaichi said she spoke with Trump.
“I just finished a phone call with President Trump. First of all, he warmly congratulated me on my appointment as Prime Minister, and I was very grateful for his kind words,” she said. “I conveyed to him that strengthening the Japan–U.S. Alliance is the top priority for my administration’s foreign and security policy.”
USA TODAY’s Bart Hansen contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Trump going to Japan? Trump set to meet new Japanese leader
