LATEST
Message from Takeda
Beyond Trump tariffs:
Moves toward a new era originating in the United States
Seven months have passed since the inauguration of the Trump 2.0 administration. The world continues to be shaken by President Trump’s high tariff policy. Japan is no exception and has struggled to respond. However, this may not be merely a facet of trade policy, but rather a sign of changes that could affect the very foundations of the postwar system.
My hypothesis is as follows. President Trump may be attempting to correct the harmful effects caused by the going too far of the “American-style liberalism (liberal regime)” that the US spread throughout the world after World War II. Taken in this context, the high tariff policy can be seen as part of an effort to rebuild the relationship between the US and the rest of the world. Such excesses are not limited to the United States but have also spread to Japan and Europe. In particular Japan has been the most thorough in adopting the American model in Asia, and has suffered serious consequences in the form of the weakening of families and local communities, industrial hollowing out, and the uneven distribution of wealth.
Now is the time for us to reexamine what kind of future-oriented cooperative relationship Japan and the United States can build, while keeping an eye on the changes taking place in American society. What is needed is not just trade negotiations, but efforts to bring about structural change for a new era.
August 2025
Shuzaburo Takeda, Ph.D.
President
Takeda & Associates
Office:
#516, 4-24-55 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0074 Japan
E-mail: info@tkdas.jp