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.

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.

For Japan, the aim is to underscore the rock-solid nature of the relationship and receive clear assurances of the countries’ shared military alliance, while attempting to establish a personal connection between the golf-obsessed Trump and model train enthusiast Ishiba.