Tokyo – This is a grand gesture in the truest sense of the word... On Monday, US President Donald Trump landed in Japan's capital, Tokyo, as part of his Asia tour. The Japanese apparently want to impress Trump – and are buying around 100 American Ford F-150 pickup trucks – Trump's favorite car, according to the Telegraph.
Officially, the monster pickup trucks are intended to be used for road and dam inspections.
Monster trucks are too wide for Japan's roads
▶︎ But there's a catch: The Ford F-150 is more than two meters wide—making it too wide for Japan's roads. Many Japanese roads are less than four meters wide in both directions.
▶︎ Even more absurd: Ford left the Japanese market in 2016. There are no dealers, no workshops, no spare parts. The government would have to find private mechanics to keep the trucks in good condition.
The unofficial reason for the oversized purchase: Make Trump happy!
Japan and the USA are important trading partners, but recently the relationship was clouded by the tariff dispute: Trump had announced tariffs of 25 percent. Under pressure from these punitive tariffs, Tokyo announced it would invest $550 billion in the US economy—a huge concession to Washington. And Trump lowered the tariffs to 15 percent.
When the US President lands in Tokyo, a row of the giant Ford trucks will be parked in front of Akasaka Palace, the state guesthouse in Tokyo. The US President will then be able to look out of his window at a row of brand-new F-150s.
“When Trump looks out the window and sees the trucks, he will be even happier,” a Japanese political expert told the Telegraph.
In Japan, however, the monster pickup trucks are also generating criticism and derision. Some government officials consider the project completely over-engineered. And even Japanese media outlets are mocking the vehicles, claiming they would only be useful as snowplows.
Trump cheers: “That’s a hot truck!”
But one thing is also clear: The oversized gesture is having an impact, and Trump is cheering!
"That's good. She has good taste," he said aboard Air Force One, referring to the Ford shopping list of Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (64)."That's a hot truck!"
And the monster trucks aren't the only mega-gift Trump can expect on his trip to Asia: South Korea plans to award the US President its highest civilian honor, the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, during his state visit.
