Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will go to the White House to try to rekindle Japan’s relationship with President Donald Trump — and to fend off potential tariffs.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to cite his country’s increased investment in the U.S. and its regional security role when he meets President Trump on Friday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba arrived in Washington on Thursday for his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump,

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba headed to the United States on Thursday ahead of what would be President Donald Trump's second summit with a foreign leader since his return to the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will visit him next week at the White House and he looks forward to the conversation.

Ishiba will be the second foreign leader – following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – to meet face-to-face with Trump since the president’s second inauguration on January 20.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will likely proceed cautiously in his first meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday as he seeks to avoid economic fallout from tariffs and reaffirm his country’s security alliance with the US.

When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, his goal, according to Japanese officials, will be straightforward: reaffirm the U.S.-Japan alliance and build a strong rapport with Trump.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will cautiously try to convince Donald Trump to treat Tokyo better than other allies Friday when he becomes the second foreign leader to meet the US president since his return to power.

Japan’s Ishiba hopes to deepen security ties with US in first meeting with Trump Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to hold his first summit meeting with United States President Donald Trump in Washington.