Japanese government officials are watching the US midterm vote with the Senate majority as their focus, concerned that a weakened Trump administration could turn to foreign policy in less predictable ways, TV Asahi reported.
Inside the government, the view before counting began was that Democrats would take the House, leaving control of the Senate as the open question.
One senior administration official said that if Democrats retake a Senate majority, "constraints from Congress will grow stronger, and it is unclear how President Trump will move in other areas." The official said the outlook was especially unclear on diplomacy.
An aide to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government is watching closely what happens to situations such as Iran if the Trump administration "hits a dead end on domestic policy." The aide also signaled wariness about foreign policy after the midterms.
Alliance line expected to hold
Several people close to the prime minister said they expect the US-Japan alliance to remain the axis of the relationship. A senior Foreign Ministry official was more blunt on the morning of November 4: "It would be a lie to say I'm not afraid."
The government is following the count with bated breath, according to the report.