As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump surprised and angered many in Japan with comments about how unfair Japan¡¯s trade policies were.

His Twitter comments threatening Toyota Motor Corp. with a border tax if they built a plant in Mexico and tried to sell their cars in the U.S. sparked heated and defensive rhetoric from Japan¡¯s business leaders, politicians, and media.

But they also dredged up memories of three decades ago, when similar comments were heard in Washington and America¡¯s industrial heartland, where Trump enjoys strong support.