PRESS CONFERENCE
Ryosei Akazawa, Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy and Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization
11:00-12:00 Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.
Japan-U.S. Trade Deal
Japan signed a trade deal with the U.S. this summer that mandates Tokyo will underwrite $550 billion in investments that are selected and run by Washington, which also set tariff rates for a variety of industries. Ryosei Akazawa, the pact's key Japanese negotiator, will come to the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan to explain the deal's specifics, its grey areas, and what it was like facing the U.S. diplomatic approach, which ranged from warm embrace as a global ally to social media blasts without insulation or apology.
Akazawa, Japan's Economic Revitalization Minister, led efforts that produced a reduction of U.S. auto tariffs on Japanese firms from 27.5% to 15% as well as other key settlements, and will explain the deal and its future bilateral impact. The Minister, a Liberal Democratic Party Cabinet member, will also offer insights on the LDP's pending presidential election that will determine the next prime minister of Japan, and ultimately who next inherits the U.S.-Japan bilateral relationship.
How to attend:
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/P2Wc9xqdzVCeLuSHA
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.
Professional Activities Committee