After the closely watched summit between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden, the focus is now shifting back to their respective domestic challenges. Despite this, both leaders successfully projected an image of unity on the economic front during their meetings. Many of their official comments highlighted the compatibility between the two nations, aiming to reassure skeptics that their countries’ relationship goes beyond just the political leaders. This was seen as important amidst concerns that a return of former U.S. President Donald Trump could strain the strong bonds between Japan and the United States.

During his address to Congress last week, Kishida emphasized that the United States is Japan’s closest friend. He spoke about Tokyo and Washington standing “shoulder to shoulder,” clearly conveying the message of a strong bond between the two countries. The summit between Kishida and Biden was carefully choreographed to demonstrate unity on the economic front, and both leaders were successful in projecting this image. Now, as they return to deal with their individual domestic challenges, the question remains whether this unity will continue to hold in the face of potential future changes in leadership.