Japan on Alert Over Potential U.S. Pressure Ahead of Midterms

Japan's government and ruling party are reportedly on alert over the possibility of increased pressure from the United States as the U.S. midterm elections approach in November. Analysts suggest that Washington could leverage various issues, including defense cost-sharing for U.S. troops stationed in Japan, the weak yen, and investment, to exert pressure.

According to a Nikkei report on June 18, the U.S. foreign policy may lean more heavily towards "America First" in the lead-up to the midterms. This could translate into demands for greater defense burden-sharing from allies like Japan, alongside economic pressure.

This concern follows President Trump's recent directive to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, which he deemed "inappropriate and hostile" toward North Korea and costly for the U.S. Japan is currently in negotiations to finalize its contribution to the cost of hosting U.S. forces, known as "host nation support," beyond 2027, including expenses for personnel, utilities, and facility operations.