Japan starts its kabuki performance with Trump

Donald Trump isn’t known to be a kabuki fan. But this week, his White House had an intimate look at the classical Japanese dance-drama medium as trade talks took center stage. The first act was performed in the US capital Monday and Tuesday. There, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s negotiators agreed in principle to fast-track a bilateral deal. Desperate for a triumph on the world stage to outshine scandals, President Trump hopes his pal Abe will give him a curtain call. That is surely the role Washington expects Toshimitsu Motegi to play as Japan’s economy minister. But kabuki doesn’t work that way, and Trump’s man Robert Lighthizer would be wise to study up. Plot twists and hidden motives can take the narrative in surprising directions. And thus far, Abe’s team appears to be keeping the script close to the vest. The reason is Japan finds itself in a stronger position than it did 12 months ago.