Japan may even showcase an American pickup outside the Akasaka Palace state guesthouse during President Trump’s visit
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by Brad Anderson
October 21, 2025 at 09:24
Japan may purchase dozens of Ford pickups ahead of Trump’s visit.
Trump has often complained about Japan’s low sales of American cars.
Only 16,000 American-made cars were sold in the country last year.
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Japan before the end of the month, and the Japanese government is already looking for ways to stay on his good side.
Its plan? To purchase a boatload of Ford F-150s that can be used for road and dam inspections. The move would come less than two months after the US and Japan announced a new tariff agreement.
Read: Trump Gives Japanese Carmakers Huge Tariff Break
Officials are said to be considering the purchase of more than 100 F-150s, with one possibly set to go on display outside Akasaka Palace, the state guesthouse that will host Trump during his visit.
Trump has long bemoaned the fact that very few American vehicles are sold in Japan. Indeed, just 16,000 American cars were sold in 2024. By comparison, Japanese car manufacturers exported 1.37 million vehicles to the US over the same period.
The Japanese Don’t Buy American
While the Japanese government’s plan may sound good in theory, there is one glaring issue, according to a report from Nikkei Asia.
Ford officially withdrew from the local market in 2016. That means there are no Ford dealerships or service centers equipped to maintain the F-150s, meaning the government would likely have to look for independent mechanics to maintain the fleet.
It’s also worth noting that there’s very little the Japanese government can do to encourage private citizens to start buying American-made vehicles en masse, stopping short of offering generous incentives on them.
Big American SUVs and pickups have never found much affection in Japan, where narrow streets and tight parking spaces make smaller domestic models far more practical.
Interestingly, Toyota Motor chairman Akio Toyoda recently expressed a willingness to import some of the brand’s US-built models to Japan, including the Tundra, a move that could subtly test local appetite for large American-style vehicles.
Sources: Nikkei Asia
AloJapan.com