If no deal is made, Japanese imports face a 25 percent tariff from Trump, which threatens to drive up prices in the U.S. on affected goods. Japan mostly exports vehicles, machinery, and electronics to the U.S. It also risks damaging relations with a key Pacific ally of Washington.

Trump, who sued the WSJ and its owners including Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion on Friday over the newspaper's report on a 2003 birthday greeting from Trump to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, denied the latest WSJ report on Bessent too.

For Americans who were awaiting the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, the delay of U.S. pre-orders for the gaming console this April was one indication of what’s to come.

Japan's top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa will visit Washington from Monday for an eighth round of trade talks, with the deadline

Japan's top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, said on Saturday he planned to visit Washington next week to hold further ministerial-level talks with the U.S.

The LDP could still stay in power with the support of smaller parties, given that it is still the largest single party.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was clinging on Monday even after his coalition disastrously lost its upper house majority in elections, as painful new US tariffs loom.

A mutually beneficial U.S.-Japan tariff agreement is still possible, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo.