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Japan's freshly appointed leader, Sanae Takaichi, is set to confront her primary foreign policy challenge as she engages with former US President Trump for high-stakes negotiations in the Japanese capital.

Attention of their summit is likely to revolve around economic and defense issues, signaling a critical moment for Japan's relationship with its influential partner.

A Significant Leadership and Global Introduction

Takaichi, who recently became Japan's first female leader after winning the leadership of the governing Liberal Democratic Party, had her global debut at the recent ASEAN summit.

However, her upcoming meeting with the former president is seen as the real challenge that will set the tone for coming two-way cooperation.

Managing Domestic and Global Challenges

Takaichi faces a possibly shaky political landscape, having established a partnership that puts her a couple of votes short of a controlling number in the powerful lower house of parliament.

Consequently, her government will rely on opposition MPs to pass legislation, introducing a layer of difficulty to her governance.

Common Views and Differing Interests

Takaichi holds the former president's suspicion of China's military presence in the region, yet each nations have faced challenges from his "US-first" economic approach.

Recently, Trump facilitated a ceasefire deal between Thai and Cambodian forces during the first stage of his Asia visit.

Military Expansion and Spending Commitments

Takaichi has expressed her determination to speed up Japan's military expansion, planning to raise defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product by the end of March.

This step matches a longstanding request from the former US leader and represents the largest military expansion for Japan since the Second World War.

Defense Cooperation and Tensions

Japan has also moved to acquire "retaliatory" abilities, including Tomahawk missiles from the US, and plans to deploy locally made extended-range missiles.

But, the two-way security treaty remains a source of strain, with the former president earlier stating that Japan should contribute more for hosting US troops on its soil.

Economic Expectations and Negotiations

Not many anticipate major agreements on economic issues during the visit, especially after recent duty changes offered a degree of relief to the country's economy.

Takaichi is likely to seek further benefits by promising increased acquisitions of US products, including vehicles, agricultural produce, and gas.

Individual Rapport and the Abe Connection

The importance Trump attributes to individual rapport could work in Takaichi's favor, given her strong relationship with the late former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was one of Trump's favorite world leaders.

Abe was the first foreign figure to meet the then president-elect after his election, and the pair built a strong relationship over mutual interests such as golf.

Upcoming Agenda and International Significance

Trump's trip to Japan will begin with a audience with the Emperor at the Imperial Palace in the capital.

It will be followed by talks with the PM at the state guest house, the very location where he held talks with Abe in previous years.

Afterward, the former president will travel to the Republic of Korea for the Apec summit, where he is scheduled to engage with Chinese president Xi.