Takaichi's tax cut plan exposes fault line with US over fiscal policy

PoliticsOpposition parties use Washington's concerns to attack ruling coalitionJapanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke together on the USS George Washington aircraft carrier in October. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)RYO NAKAMURAAugust 7, 2026 01:04 JSTTOKYO -- The consumption tax cut approved by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet has emerged as a new source of potential tension in U.S.-Japan relations, with some in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party worried about growing opposition from Washington.