The two seemed to get along very well during their joint press conference at the White House, despite President Trump's previous disappointment with Japan's reluctance to participate in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

Takaichi told the Japanese parliament before her departure that she would explain to Trump that her country could not easily meet his demand for helping to provide security in the Strait of Hormuz because force projection is legally banned under Japan's pacifist constitution.

"I intend to convey these points clearly, and I'm sure the U.S. side understands these laws, given our history," she said.

Trump said on Saturday that he wanted the countries most reliant upon the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz — including Europe, China, Japan, and South Korea — to assist with defending commercial vessels against Iranian attacks.

"This should always have been a team effort, and now it will be," he said.

On Tuesday, Trump wrote an angry post on Truth Social expressing his dismay with the lack of assistance from America's putative NATO allies on the Strait of Hormuz.

"Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries' assistance – WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea," the president fumed.

"In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!" he added.

By dint of her preplanned trip to Washington, Takaichi became the first leader to sit down for a meeting with Trump after the Strait of Hormuz letdown. She was well-positioned to endure his wrath, since the two have gotten along very well on a personal level, but the timing was unfortunate because Tokyo had been optimistic about resolving trade issues with the U.S. during the meeting.

Takaichi was also planning to make the most of talking to Trump before he departs for China at the end of March to meet with dictator Xi Jinping. Trump has since delayed that trip to China for "a month or so" while he deals with the Iran war, possibly as a signal of his displeasure with Beijing's failure to help with the Strait of Hormuz.