March 19, 2026
Mr. Hagerty (for himself, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Risch, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Kim, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Coons, Mr. Scott of Florida, and Mr. Sullivan) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Japan Alliance and welcoming the visit of Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to the United States.
Whereas the United States-Japan alliance remains a cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity and underscores the unwavering commitment of the United States to Japan and the Indo-Pacific region;
Whereas United States President Donald J. Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae held their first official meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on October 28, 2025, and signed a joint document in which they confirmed their strong commitment to implementing
the Agreement between the United States and Japan announced on July 22, 2025, and instructed relevant ministers and secretaries to take further steps for a new golden age of the ever-growing U.S.-Japan Alliance
;
Whereas Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae made history with her election in October 2025 as Japan’s first-ever female prime minister;
Whereas the United States and Japan established diplomatic relations with the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Amity on March 31, 1854;
Whereas 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of San Francisco by the United States, Japan and 47 other nations on September 8, 1951, which formally ended the state of war and restored full sovereignty to Japan;
Whereas 2026 marks the 66th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan on June 19, 1960, an agreement that succeeded the Security Treaty between the United States and Japan of September 8, 1951;
Whereas, over the last 8 decades, the partnership built on democratic values and shared commitment to security and prosperity between the United States and Japan has grown from the end of World War II into one of the most consequential alliances in the world;
Whereas the United States-Japan alliance continues to advance the national security, economic security, and energy security of both nations;
Whereas, to strengthen the United States-Japan alliance, Japan has committed to fundamentally strengthen its capabilities for national defense, deterrence, and response;
Whereas Japan achieved its goal of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense before March 2026;
Whereas Japan will revise its National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and Defense Buildup Program during 2026 to account for changes in the security environment since the last revision of these documents in December 2022;
Whereas the United States and Japan have deepened their defense cooperation through foreign military sales, co-development and co-production, frequent bilateral and multilateral exercises, and across domains that include space and cyber;
Whereas the Government of Japan shares the costs of stationing approximately 55,000 members of the United States Armed Forces, civilians, and their family members in Japan, and enables the United States to forward deploy significant military assets to meet the alliance’s current and future security challenges;
Whereas, on July 1, 2014, the cabinet of then-Japan Prime Minister Abe Shinzo approved a reinterpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan with respect to the exercise of collective self-defense when the Government has reached a conclusion that not only when an armed attack against Japan occurs but also when an armed attack against a foreign country that is in a close relationship with Japan occurs and as a result threatens Japan’s survival and poses a clear danger to fundamentally overturn people’s right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and when there is no other appropriate means available to repel the attack and ensure Japan’s survival and protect its people
;
Whereas on March 29, 2016, the Legislation for Peace and Security, which enhances the deterrence of the Japan-U.S. Alliance for the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, entered into force;
Whereas the extended deterrence commitments of the United States to Japan remain ironclad and backed by the full range of United States capabilities;
Whereas the Senkaku Islands fall within the scope of Article V of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan;
Whereas since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, Japan has demonstrated its strong support for Ukraine, including through high-level diplomatic engagements, humanitarian and security assistance, financial support, and coordinating sanctions against Russia;
Whereas the United States and Japan are working together to create new economic opportunities and new jobs for people in both nations in various sectors, including energy and energy infrastructure, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, electronics and supply chain, rare earths and critical minerals, manufacturing and logistics, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and shipbuilding;
Whereas Japan is one of the largest trading partners of the United States, with bilateral trade exceeding $317,000,000,000 in 2024;
Whereas Japan, by country of ultimate beneficial owner, accounted for over $819,000,000,000 of cumulative foreign direct investment in the United States at the end of 2024, making Japan the largest investor in the United States for 6 consecutive years since 2019, and has recently committed to further invest $550,000,000,000 in the United States;
Whereas Japan has contributed to the promotion of quality infrastructure investment and economic security, and the United States and Japan continue to share an interest in cooperation on energy security and advanced energy technologies;
Whereas, on October 7, 2019, the Governments of the United States and Japan signed the United States-Japan Trade Agreement and United States-Japan Digital Trade Agreement, which both entered into force on January 1, 2020;
Whereas, on October 25, 2025, President Trump and Prime Minister Takaichi signed the United States-Japan Framework for Securing the Supply of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths through Mining and Processing to further diversify our critical minerals supply chain;
Whereas a strong trilateral relationship among the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea is vital for promoting security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, defending freedom and democracy, advancing innovation, supply chain resilience, and economic security, and upholding internationally-recognized human rights and the rule of law;
Whereas, in August 2023, then-Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, then-Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol, and then-United States President Joseph R. Biden announced a new era of trilateral partnership
at the Camp David Summit, including a commitment to consult
in an expeditious manner regarding regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting trilateral collective interests and security;
Whereas the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea have deepened mutual cooperation and dialogue in a series of fields, including—
(1)
the expansion of a multi-year schedule for trilateral military exercises, including through the regular conduct of Freedom Edge, a trilateral multi-domain exercise;
(2)
the real-time Democratic People’s Republic of Korea missile warning data sharing mechanism;
(3)
trilateral cooperation for enhancing economic security and supply chain resilience, including the trilateral Early Warning System on critical minerals;
(4)
trilateral people-to-people exchanges, including the Young Trilateral Leaders Summit and a technology leaders training program; and
(5)
the Trilateral Diplomatic Working Group to counter cyber threats posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea;
Whereas, since 2023, the Governments of the United States, of Japan, and of the Republic of Korea have joined bipartisan delegations of United States Senators to participate in the Trilateral Executive Dialogue, an annual conference that brings together the leadership of major companies from the 3 nations to discuss a broad range of economic security, energy security, and national security issues;
Whereas, since 2010, the Governments of the United States, of Japan, and of Australia have convened a Trilateral Defense Ministerial meeting that focuses on deepening coordination of military operations, enhancing trilateral planning, and increasing defense industrial cooperation and capability development;
Whereas the United States, Japan, and the Republic of the Philippines have deepened trilateral cooperation to advance the national security, economic security, and energy security interests of their respective countries;
Whereas Japan has contributed to supporting the Indo-Pacific region’s development, stability, and prosperity through the positive and practical agenda of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (referred to in this preamble as the Quad
) with the United States, Australia, and India;
Whereas the United States and Japan worked with other members of the Quad to advance shared objectives for the Indo-Pacific region, including through cooperation with and support for—
(1)
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN’s centrality and unity;
(2)
the Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific-led regional groupings; and
(3)
the Indian Ocean Rim Association;
Whereas the United States, Japan and other Quad members announced a new, ambitious, and strong agenda focused on 4 key areas, namely—
(1)
maritime and transnational security;
(2)
economic prosperity and security;
(3)
critical and emerging technologies; and
(4)
humanitarian assistance and emergency response;
Whereas the United States, Japan, and the other Quad members jointly stated on July 1, 2025, We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea. We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.
;
Whereas the United States, Japan, the Republic of the Philippines, and Australia have deepened quadrilateral cooperation to advance the national security, economic security, and energy security interests of their respective countries;
Whereas the Government of Japan-sponsored Japan Exchange and Teaching Program has more than 40,000 United States alumni and represents one of many exchanges that have cemented our close people-to-people ties;
Whereas, as of July 2025, 208 United States Government officials have traveled to Japan under the United States-sponsored and Japan-supported Mansfield Fellowship, which has deepened the United States-Japan alliance by promoting firsthand knowledge of Japanese government policies and processes relating to aerospace, energy policy, and cybersecurity, among other areas;
Whereas more than 1,600,000 individuals visit Washington, D.C. every year to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which serves as a reminder of the enduring friendship between the United States and Japan;
Whereas the Government of Japan announced that it is gifting an additional 250 cherry blossom trees to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; and
Whereas, in March 2026, Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will visit the United States at the invitation of President Donald J. Trump: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)
welcomes Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to the United States;
(2)
reaffirms the strong and enduring alliance between the Governments of the United States and Japan, rooted in a shared commitment to upholding peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world;
(3)
stands ready to support efforts to build a more capable and modernized alliance to address regional and global challenges to national security, economic security, and energy security;
(4)
applauds the commitment of the Government of Japan to defense modernization, including the achievement of its goal to increase defense spending to 2 percent of its gross domestic product before the end of its current fiscal year on March 31, 2026;
(5)
reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the defense of Japan under Article V of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan, done at Washington January 19, 1960;
(6)
reaffirms that—
(A)
the Senkaku Islands fall within the scope of Article V of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan; and
(B)
the United States remains opposed to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea or undermine Japan’s administration of these islands, or in the South China Sea;
(7)
recognizes the entry into force of Japan’s Legislation for Peace and Security on March 29, 2016, which enables Japan—
(A)
to seamlessly respond to any situations to secure the lives and peaceful livelihood of its people; and
(B)
to contribute to the peace and stability of the international community;
(8)
recognizes the unprecedented convergence of the strategies for national security and defense strategies between our nations and the need to further bolster deterrence in the Indo-Pacific;
(9)
supports the determination of Japan to achieve the immediate resolution of the abduction issue and calls on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to release any abductees;
(10)
supports Japan’s efforts to expand national security and economic security cooperation with other allies and partners of the United States, including the Republic of Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and India;
(11)
applauds continuing advancements—
(A)
in trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, among the United States, Japan, and Australia, and among the United States, Japan, and the Philippines;
(B)
in quadrilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, Australia, and India and among the United States, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia; and
(C)
in bilateral relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea;
(12)
encourages efforts to strengthen engagement with Japan in bilateral and multilateral forums, including the Quad;
(13)
calls for continued cooperation between the Governments of the United States and Japan in promoting our shared democratic values, rule of law, and respect for internationally-recognized human rights; and
(14)
commits to strengthening and deepening diplomatic, economic, security, and people-to-people ties between the United States and Japan.