Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Donald Trump struck a cordial tone at their initial meeting on Friday, with Tokyo sidestepping tariffs that Trump has imposed on other allies - so far.
The two leaders lavished praise on one another at the White House, vowing to stand united against Chinese "aggression" and announcing a resolution to a stalled deal affecting US Steel.
Trump urged Ishiba to decrease the US trade deficit with Japan to zero and cautioned that Tokyo may still face tariffs on exported goods if it fails to do so.
Ishiba, a self-proclaimed "geek" and model warship enthusiast, has come under scrutiny to emulate President Trump's close friendship with his former partner in golf, Shinzo Abe.
Both leaders claimed they had established a rapport during what was only the second official visit to the United States by a foreign leader during Trump's presidency.
'Frightening'
"I was thrilled to meet a famous person in person on television," Ishiba stated in their joint press conference -- adding that he was not angling for favor.
On television, he comes across as intimidating, with a very imposing presence. But, in person, I found him to be genuinely sincere and exceptionally compelling.
Trump referred to the 68-year-old Japanese leader as "good looking," one of the US president's highest forms of praise.
And the US president laughed and said "that's a very good answer" when Ishiba replied he couldn't respond to a "theoretical question" about whether he would retaliate to any US tariffs.
Meanwhile, Trump said that Nippon Steel of Japan will make a significant investment in US Steel, but does not plan to acquire US Steel as previously agreed.
Trump declared "they'll be looking at an investment rather than a purchase." His predecessor, Biden, had previously blocked the deal.
The two leaders also reaffirmed decades-old US ties in security and trade, pushing aside concerns that Trump could suddenly shift toward Tokyo, mirroring his recent treatment of other US allies.
Chinese 'aggression'
Trump said they had agreed to counter "Chinese economic aggression" and in a joint statement, they denounced Beijing for "provocative actions" in the disputed South China Sea.
They also called for North Korea to be denuclearized, although Trump - who met with its leader Kim Jong-un during his first term - expressed a wish to have "relations" with Pyongyang.
Behind Trump's expressions of support were Japan's commitments of a 1 trillion dollar investment in the United States and to increase Japanese purchases of US defense equipment.
Ishiba stated that his country was the United States' largest investor and would increase its investment further.
Ishiba, a soft-spoken figure who occasionally smokes cigarettes, had hurried to Washington in an effort to temper the sharp edge of Trump's "America First" policies.
Under Abe, Japan was shielded from some of the more severe trade wars and financial burdens, such as, imposed by Trump, including pressure to increase financial contributions to host US troops.
Shortly after Trump's initial election success, Abe provided him with a gold-plated golf club. Trump also hosted Akie Abe for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last December.
So far, the US president has imposed tariffs on China and also directed them to be imposed on Mexico and Canada, before temporarily suspending them for a month.
He has also imposed tariffs on the European Union and stated on Friday that unspecified "reciprocal tariffs" will be announced next week.