Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s newest prime minister, met with Donald Trump on Feb. 7, 2025.

Now that’s a political move I didn’t see coming — not from him, anyway. He’s been trying and failing for months since his election. Ishiba has spent years as the LDP’s resident outsider, the guy who critiques from within but never quite gets the backing to lead. And now he’s cozying up to Trump? Interesting.

Let’s be real — Trump isn’t exactly known for having a nuanced grasp of Japan’s internal politics. If you’re a Japanese politician meeting with him, it’s not about deep policy discussions. It’s about optics, influence and signaling to power players back home. So what’s Ishiba’s angle? Is he trying to rebrand himself as a bridge to Trump’s Republican circle? Or is this just a case of “why not?” — a move to keep his name in the headlines while Japan’s political future remains uncertain?

In my latest “Japan Today Spotlight” video, I break down what this meeting could mean.

Here’s something, though, I didn’t say on camera: Ishiba has always played the long game, but his moment never quite arrives. Now that it’s arrived, could this finally be his way of forcing relevance?

Check out the video here:

What do you think — smart move or just another round of political chess with no endgame?