TOKYO >> Long associated with American ruggedness, burly pickup trucks such as Ford’s top-selling F-150 have now become a symbol of international trade talks, showing how far countries such as Japan will go to win over President Donald Trump.

When Trump met Japan’s new prime minister and first female premier, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo on Tuesday, an F-150 was parked prominently outside the Akasaka Palace venue.

Big U.S. pickup trucks are a rare sight in the Japanese capital, where the streets are narrow and turns can be painfully tight.

But the placement of the F-150, not even typically available for sale in Japan, sent a clear message about Tokyo’s willingness to buy more cars from its ally, an issue that has been a sore point for Trump for decades.

Last week Reuters reported that Taka

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