The meeting between Donald Trump and Sanae Takaichi was supposed to be a routine diplomatic moment. Instead, it turned into an awkward exchange that left the room visibly tense. The discomfort began when Trump was asked why the United States did not inform allies, including Japan, before carrying out recent strikes in Iran. A Japanese reporter raised the question during a press interaction after the two leaders met in the Oval Office.

Trump responded by saying the strikes were kept secret to maintain surprise. Then, in an attempt at humour, he brought up one of the most painful chapters in US history. “We didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted a surprise,” he said. “Who knows better about surprise than Japan, okay? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbour, okay?”

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The reference was to the Pearl Harbour attack, when Japanese forces launched a surprise strike that killed more than 2,000 Americans.

Trump makes Pearl Harbour joke, Takaichi’s reaction says it all

Takaichi did not respond to the remark. Her reaction, however, was telling and instantly went viral on social media. She widened her eyes, leaned back in her chair, and her carefully maintained smile faded.

She chose not to engage with the comment and continued to remain polite toward Trump. At one point, she even praised him, calling him the only person who “can achieve peace across the world.” Still, there were subtle signs of unease. As Trump continued answering questions, she was seen occasionally glancing at her watch.

This is not the first time Trump has made other world leaders uncomfortable with his remarks. Just days earlier, Trump praised Winston Churchill while hosting Ireland’s leader, a country with a long and difficult history under British rule. Last summer, during a meeting with Friedrich Merz, Trump brought up the D-Day. “That was not a pleasant day for you,” he said. “This was not a great day.” Merz responded carefully:  “Well in the long run, Mr. President, this was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship.”

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Trump’s approach stands in contrast to how earlier US presidents handled such moments. Barack Obama, for example, made a point of acknowledging the human cost of World War II. He visited Hiroshima nearly 71 years after the atomic bombing and later joined Shinzo Abe at the USS Arizona Memorial to honour those killed in the attack.

High stakes amid Iran conflict

The awkward moment also came at a time of rising global tension. The US strikes on Iran have pulled Washington deeper into conflict, and Trump is now looking for support from allies, including Japan. “We’re doing this excursion, and when it’s completed, we are going to have a much safer world,” Trump said. “And the prime minister agrees with me.”

He has urged Japan to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies that has been threatened by the ongoing conflict.

Japan’s position, however, is complicated. The country has long maintained friendly ties with both Israel and Arab nations and has often tried to act as a neutral player. Its pacifist constitution, adopted after World War II, places limits on overseas military action. That makes any decision to send forces abroad politically sensitive.