One point of focus in the upcoming talks between Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington will be whether the two leaders can build a trusting personal relationship.
Suga and Biden share several similarities. Neither of them had relatives who were prominent politicians, so they worked their way up the political ladder. The two also played supporting roles for another leader at the center of government.
They are around the same age -- Suga is 72, Biden is 78 -- and both started their political career in local government circles.
Suga, born in Akita Prefecture, was an aide to a Diet member before entering politics and being elected to the Yokohama City Assembly in 1987.
Biden was a lawyer before winning a seat on the New Castle County Council in Delaware in 1970.
Suga and Biden played instrumental roles supporting younger leaders. Suga served as chief cabinet secretary for about seven years eight months during the second administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Biden was vice president from 2009 to 2017 during the administration of President Barack Obama.
Both Suga and Biden often tend to favor a bottom-up political approach of building discussions from working-level officials at each ministry or department, rather than top-down. Some observers see this as coming from their own background of being in close proximity to respective leaders and achieving results.
They also have a sweet tooth. The prime minister is fond of pancakes and daifuku mochi dumplings stuffed with sweetened red bean paste, while the U.S. president has a weakness for ice cream. Neither man drinks alcohol or smokes.
Since they took up their current positions, they have held talks twice over the phone. During their talks in January, Suga suggested they call each other "Yoshi" and "Joe" -- a proposal that Biden accepted.
"The conversation flowed during their talks over the phone and on other occasions," a Japanese government source said. "They seem to get on well."
In addition, in March they participated in a four-way videoconference with the leaders of India and Australia.
Abe built a close relationship with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, strengthening Japan-U.S. ties. Appearing on a TV program on April 6, Suga said, "I want to craft a personal relationship with Biden through these talks."
Many observers will be closely watching how their relationship will unfold during the Washington summit.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
