Donald Trump and Shigeru Ishiba could hardly be more different. The Japanese Prime Minister likes to give himself intellectually, always speaks calmly and prudently. But since Trump has surprisingly hit the exporting nation with world brands such as Toyota, Sony and Nintendo with his customs policy, Ishiba has also found unusually clear words: Trump’s tariffs aimed at the “backbone of the country,” he says, and after a national crisis. The largest foreign investors in the United States – there would soon be significantly fewer factories and create jobs. The United States is the most important sales market for many corporations, and Japan is also dependent on America as a protective power. This week, Ishiba sends negotiators to Washington to reduce the burden for the Japanese export companies – and to restore trust. Allegedly, 75 other countries and regions in Washington have asked for discussions. What negotiates Japan could therefore become a blueprint – also for Europe, because both the export industry and military protection depend to a high degree on the USA. But the Americans have already indicated that they want to combine the talks with a number of other topics. Among other things, Trump accuses Japan of keeping the Yen artificially cheap through currency manipulations and thereby giving its companies advantages against American competitors. However, Ishiba wants to keep the discussion about this topic out of the customs negotiations. “Fair” safety agreement is greater in Tokyo, but the concern that Trump could also provide the security agreement between Japan and the USA from 1960. The President has already described the agreement as “unfair” because it obliges the Americans to defend Japan, but the Japanese do not have to help the United States in return. In addition to Japanese perspective, this protective promise is vital. Since the end of World War II, the United States has kept the country militarily small. The constitution is strictly pacifistic, the self -defense forces are as weak as the Bundeswehr. Protection from the undisclosed neighbors China, Russia and North Korea primarily offer the 50,000 US soldiers in the country. In February, the relief in Japan was initially great when Ishiba and Trump seemed to understand themselves quite well during their first meeting in Washington. Ishiba brought a golden samurai helmet and promised Trump to buy large amounts of liquefied gas from Alaska. The American President assured his guest that his country Japan would continue to defend “100 percent”. But after the surprise strike in trading policy, the question arises in Tokyo: How much can the country rely on a protective power with such a fickle commander -in -chief? Customs and investment hunts are in the sleeve that Trump sees the main enemy of the United States in China. He primarily wants to put Beijing into his place both militarily and in customs politics. He also depends on Japan militarily. The island of Okinawa, which is only a few hundred kilometers from Taiwan and China’s coast, where around 25,000 soldiers are stationed, is considered the “unsinkable aircraft carrier”. Ishiba has already made it clear that the investment of Japanese corporations should suffer from tariffs. He also tries to strengthen the gang to the other allies. Last week, he welcomed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to Japan for two days in order to explore closer cooperation with the military alliance. In a telephone conversation with the British Prime Minister Keir Strandmer, both assured themselves to expand free trade and react to Trump’s customs volunteers “cool, calm and pragmatic”. However, Beijing, however, senses his chance, and recently promoted a free trade zone with Japan and South Korea. So far, both Tokyo and Seoul show little enthusiasm, although both of them cultivate to China as important trade relationships as with the United States. Even because of the military dependency, Tokio Trump does not want to irritate additional.