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President Trump compared US strikes on Iran to the deadly 1941 Japanese attack and declaration of war as part of World War Two.
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Asked by a Japanese journalist why the US had not warned its allies it was going to strike Iran on 28 February, Trump referenced the 1941 Japanese attack on US soil.
"Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?," Trump said as the prime minister appeared to be opening her eyes wide and taking a deep breath.
The Pearl Harbor attack led to the US joining World War Two, and the US later dropped two atomic bombs on Japan.
The countries became close allies in later years after the war ended.
Trump's remark appeared to draw some laughter from journalists and others present in the room in the White House, while Takaichi's reaction seemed to reflect some of the unease that surrounds the issue.
Mineko Tokito, a senior reporter from Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, was in the Oval Office at the time and said the PM's discomfort was "clear".
"Prime Minister Takaichi viscerally reacted, her eyes widening and her smile disappearing as she leaned back, drawing her hands in, clearly taken aback by the sudden mention of Pearl Harbor," she said.
Yuta Nakamura, a 33-year-old engineer, told Reuters news agency that Takaichi had been put in "a very difficult situation" and praised the PM for "avoiding upsetting Trump".
Tokio Washino, a retiree, said: "Given the historical context of Japan having done that, and with Donald Trump bringing it up as an example, it makes me feel a bit uneasy as a Japanese citizen."
Japan and the US have been close allies since 1952 - but just 10 years earlier, a key decision by Japan sparked wide-ranging consequences for both countries and the rest of the world.
On the morning of 7 December 1941, while most of the world was already at war, Japan launched a surprise attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing more than 2,335 US military personnel and 68 civilians
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