Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 845 › Conversation 845-006
Nixon, Sato & Ushiba on U.S.-Japan relations and Vietnam War settlement
Wednesday, January 31, 1973 · 3:10 PM–4:05 PM ET · Oval Office · 56 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with former Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato and his delegation to reflect on the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance and the geopolitical significance of the recently negotiated Vietnam peace settlement. The participants emphasized the necessity of military and diplomatic strength to deter potential aggression and discussed the importance of maintaining international commitments to ensure global stability. Nixon underscored the personal nature of his relationship with Sato and highlighted the vital role that mutual trust and strong, unified alliances play in navigating relations with other global powers.
- U.S.-Japan relations
- Vietnam War settlement
- National security
- International alliances
- Geopolitics
- Okinawa
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 41.5 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 35.7 MB
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 4 minutes of this recording (about 6% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On January 31, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Eisaku Sato, Nobuhiko Ushiba, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, Tatsuo Arima, James J. Wickel, Henry A. Kissinger, Toshio Kimura, Sadanori Yamanaka, Minoru Kusuda, and Ryohei Murato met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:10 pm to 4:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 845-006 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 845-6
Date: January 31, 1973
Time: 3:10 pm and 4:05 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Eisaku Sato, Nobuhiko Ushiba, Gen. Brent Scrowcroft, Tatsuo Arima,
and James J. Wickel
Introductions
-Seating arrangements
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 845-6 (cont’d)
Okinawa
-Reversion to Japan
Spiro T. Agnew's visit
-Ceremony
-[Emperor of Japan] Hirohito
-Sentiment in Japan
-Matthew C. Perry
-US-Great Britain competition
-“Opening of Japan”
-US relations with Japan
-Watershed
-Perry
Sato's visit to New York
-Columbia University
-Japan - America society
-Japan House
-Japan Chamber of Commerce
-Japan House
-Construction
-Rockefeller family
Vietnam settlement
-The President’s accomplishments
-Lyndon B. Johnson
Kissinger entered at 3:18 pm.
Okinawa reversion
Vietnam settlement
-Johnson
-The President's conversation
-Harry S. Truman's funeral
-Kissinger's conversation
Johnson
-Health
-Claudia A. (“Lady Bird”) Johnson
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 845-6 (cont’d)
-Press release
Vietnam settlement
-Negotiations
-Japan
-North Vietnam
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Requirements
-Honorable peace
-Domestic considerations
-Johnson, John F. Kennedy
-Japan, France, Australia
-Peace movements
-US commitments
-South Vietnam
-Japan
-France
-Declaration of war
-Peace activists
-Difficulties
-Significance for US allies
-US commitments
-Great power relations
-Unity against aggression
-Bombing of North Vietnam
-Soviet Union [USSR], People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Relations with US
Kakuei Tanaka
-Visit to PRC
-US relations with Japan
-Security treaty
-Okinawa
-Defense plan
Sato’s relationship with the President
-Johnson’s death
-1973 inauguration
-The President’s public comments
-US relations with Japan
-New approach
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 845-6 (cont’d)
US relationship with Japan
-Sato’s role
-Domestic considerations
-Political left
-Western Europe, Australia
-US alliances
-Opposition
-Great Britain
-Japan
-Communists, Socialists
-Disarmament
Importance of strength
-Opposition to aggression
-Japan, US, Great Britain, Europe
-Alliances
-“Peace at any price”
-Danger
US relationship with Japan
-The President's relationship with Sato and Kishi
-The President’s visits to Japan
-Personal friendship
-Okinawa
-Former Japanese Prime Ministers
-Health
-Kishi
-Tanaka
-The President's birthday
-Japanese zodiac
White House dinner
-Participants
-Former Japanese ministers
-Okinawa
Toshio Kimura, Sadanori Yamanaka, Minoru Kusuda and Ryohei Murato entered at 4:03 pm; the
White House photographer was also present.
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 845-6 (cont’d)
Photography session
-Interpreters
Tape recorder
-Recording demonstration
Sato, et al. left at 4:05 pm.Also recorded on January 31, 1973
- 403-035 2:40 PM · 10 sec — Unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building on an unknown date, sometime between 2:40 pm on January 31, 1973 and 1:40 pm on February 1, 1973.
- 845-002 2:40 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 2:50 pm.
- 845-003 2:40 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 2:50 pm.
- 845-004 2:50 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:50 pm to 3:10 pm.
- 043-013 2:57 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:57 pm.
- 845-005 3:10 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at 3:10 pm.
- 845-007 4:05 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 4:05 pm.
- 845-008 4:10 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, David R. Young, Jr., George H. W. Bush, William E. Timmons, Thomas C. Korologos, Stephen B. Bull, Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, and Ted Stevens met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:10 pm to 4:15 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 845-006, January 31, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/845-006 (accessed October 24, 2026).