Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spent time at the Oval Office on Thursday, March 19, followed by a White House dinner, where she complimented President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s son, Barron Trump.
First, the Japanese PM attended a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House aimed at pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That evening, the Japanese PM enjoyed a White House dinner with Donald and Melania Trump, where she complimented Barron Trump, the President and First Lady’s son, just ahead of his 20th birthday.
“I know he has grown up so much into a very tall, good-looking gentleman,” the Japanese Prime Minister said. “As I see you, Donald, it is very clear where he got it. His parents, of course.”
Japanese PM @takaichi_sanae: “Tomorrow is the birthday of your son, Mr. Barron Trump, and I know he has grown up so much, into a very tall, good looking gentleman. As I see you, Donald, it is very clear where he got it… please convey my sincere happy birthday wishes to him.”❤️ pic.twitter.com/T6Nha38WIu
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 19, 2026
While previously, Barron Trump was mostly kept out of the spotlight until he turned 18, he has increasingly been featured in the headlines. USA Today reports that Barron will celebrate his 20th birthday on March 20, and has recently shown interest in his father’s politics, especially during the 2024 presidential election.
At the dinner, Takaichi congratulated the US on its upcoming 250th Anniversary and promised that Japan will gift Washington, DC, with an additional 250 cherry trees. Back in 1912, as a show of friendship, Japan gifted the city around 3,000 cherry trees that typically bloom around the Tidal Basin in late March to early April.
The Japanese PM later spoke of the relationship between the two countries, saying, “Japan is back.” For his part, Trump called Takaichi “a great friend and partner,” adding that they have become “very close.”
The meeting and dinner in the White House were the first since Takaichi became Prime Minister in October 2025. Meanwhile, President Trump visited her last year and backed her in the country’s snap election in February.
During the earlier meeting in the Oval Office, Takaichi told Trump that the world is experiencing a “very severe security environment” over the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. She also noted that the world’s economy is “about to experience a huge hit, but added that only Trump “can achieve peace throughout the world.”
Trump went on to explain that he didn’t inform other world leaders about the initial strikes in the war to maintain the element of surprise. The President compared the attacks that killed Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to Japan’s Pearl Harbor attacks that kicked off the US’s into World War II.
“We didn’t tell anyone about it because we wanted a surprise,” Trump said to laughter. “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”
