Sentiment Towards the United States and Donald Trump in Japan

In early 2025, the world is adjusting to the new political reality in the United States following President Donald Trump and his Republican party’s resounding election victory in late 2024. For Japan and its people, the stakes in attaining a positive geopolitical outcome from the change in the US political regime could not be higher.

Since 2017, the opening year of the first Trump administration, The Carter Group (Japan Market Resource Network) has been surveying Japanese each year about attitudes towards the United States. This is not a poll of elites, but rather a measure of how the average citizen feels about what is arguably their country’s most important international relationship.

In March 2025 our nationwide poll explored how people feel about the United States as a country, its leadership, its brands, and its role in the world. The results? A mixed but informative picture of a mature relationship that is experiencing some headwinds.

A majority of Japanese who we surveyed in 2017 (56%) and 2025 (50%) are unfavourable to the Trump administration at a similar time in its tenure. It is notable that there is a slightly increased directional positive sentiment from 8 % to 11%, paired with an increased percentage of people who are ‘not sure’ from 8% to 14%.

Comparing 2025 to 2017 there has been a significant drop in the general favourability of attitudes among Japanese to the United States as a country. While sentiment to the United States has likely never been positive in the majority, in 2017, net sentiment (favourable minus unfavourable) was firmly in the positive zone at +15. Today, it has dropped to -14. Those holding unfavourable feelings have almost doubled in the Japanese population from 16% to 31%. Also of some interest is the doubling of the “not sure” response from 7% to 14%, suggesting a growing ambivalence or disengagement among the Japanese public.

American brands such as Boeing, Apple, Tiffany and Levis have historically enjoyed great reputations in Japan and, most likely, continue to do so. However, on the whole, we are witnessing increased emotional distance towards the concept of American brands and their associated goods, products and services. Where once American brands carried a net positive perception of +14, they now sit slightly underwater at -5. This marks a potential pivot in how core ‘fan’ Japanese consumers symbolically evaluate what America exports.

We found in 2017 and 2025 that most Japanese say their purchasing decisions aren’t swayed one way or another by who occupies the White House. The largest proportion selected “no difference”. So while politics may colour perceptions, they don’t necessarily change behaviour—at least not directly. Having said that, the behavioural indications are less sanguine in 2025, suggesting that that geopolitics may have some impact, albeit a fairly modest one.

The appeal of the US as a travel destination has held relatively firm. Whether for pleasure or business, most Japanese say their view hasn’t changed and there were slight increases in both positive and negative sentiment. America as a destination continues to hold value for Japanese travellers.

Interest in the news—both generally and specifically about the US—has declined over the past eight years. This might signal fatigue with news cycles or a broader retreat from current, including international affairs. Or it could simply reflect a maturing media landscape where people are more selective in what they follow.

In summary, while most Japanese are not happy with the current political direction in the US, and their displeasure is creating some increased emotional distance, the relationship remains resilient.

For American brands, policymakers, and cultural ambassadors these data should present a note of warning that the foundations of a positive relationship are being questioned by some, and that additional sensitivity when dealing with Japanese people is recommended.

CarterJMRN is a Japan-based market research agency guiding leading brands through the journey of unmasking and engaging with the needs, desires and opinions of the Japanese people.

https://carterjmrn.com

With offices in Tokyo and Osaka hosting a team of more than 70 full time researchers and 100 staff interviewers, CarterJMRN is a full service Japan-based market research and innovation insights agency. Our history began in 1989 with the founding of the Japan Market Resource Network, which merged with Carter Associates in 2012.

In those more than 30 years we have worked with most of the major international brands to have entered and prospered in Japan. As a proudly multicultural agency, we are known for the cultural depth and effectiveness of our responses to clients’ challenges, applying intelligent and efficient design to deliver actionable outcomes. We work to deliver highly practical, prescriptive and actionable insights, no matter how difficult the challenge seems.

We believe that, although the terrain you face in building a successful marketing strategy and activation path sometimes seems obscure, the path to success is knowable and that the consumer is the guide who will show you the way. Our work is creative and stretching yet grounded in the consumer’s life, their culture and the truths they reveal. We combine the tools of the market research trade with our sense of collaboration, thinking, creativity and boundless enthusiasm to help you create the understandings that drive you to action. Our goal is nothing less than to help you create a successful partnership between your brand and the people who trust it.

Born and raised in Australia, Dominic studied Marketing and Japanese at the University of New South Wales. He began his career at Millward Brown in Australia, a consultancy focused on branding, media, and communications, before moving to Japan in 1999 to help set up the company’s local office.

With over 25 years of experience in Japan, Dominic has cultivated strong relationships with clients and partners. He specialises in providing prescient marketing analysis and strategies, attuned to both Japanese culture and buyer habits.

In addition to his work, Dominic regularly contributes to the community through guest lectures and consultative roles. He offers insights on market entry, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends in Japan, providing a balanced perspective on the complexities of the contemporary Japanese market.