By John Geddie, Yoshifumi Takemoto and Trevor Hunnicutt TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When Tokyo's top trade negotiator met U.S. President Donald Trump for tariff talks at the White House earlier this month,

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba left Sunday for a four-day trip to Vietnam and the Philippines, as Tokyo seeks to shore up regional ties after Donald Trump's tariff onslaught.

The White House is now negotiating trade deals with dozens of countries after President Donald Trump paused the worst of his sweeping tariffs for 90 days, with negotiators from Japan visiting the White House on Wednesday, as foreign countries suggest the pause will give them breathing room as they seek to reach deals with the Trump administration.