President Trump's joke about Pearl Harbor during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sparked outrage in Japan. The remark came as Trump explained why he didn't warn Japan about the Iran strike, saying, "Who knows better about surprise than Japan, OK? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK? Right?"

Japanese commentators, politicians, and scholars expressed dismay at the president's casual reference to the 1941 attack that killed over 2,400 Americans and drew the U.S. into World War II. University of Tokyo professor Izuru Makihara warned that such comments could escalate, asking, "He might start saying things like, 'Hiroshima and Nagasaki were fine, weren't they?'"

Prime Minister Takaichi faced criticism for remaining silent during the exchange, with some calling her attempts to flatter Trump "bizarre and embarrassing." The incident has raised concerns about U.S.-Japan relations, with many Japanese unaccustomed to American presidents discussing Pearl Harbor so bluntly. The attack's legacy remains complicated in Japan, where younger generations view it as increasingly remote.