Japan has one of the worst records for foreign aid.
Japan has a massive trade surplus.
Japan closes out competitive American agricultural products in order to protect its farmers. In view of the above, the US government, shortly after the announcement of Japan's market opening plan in April 1985 presented Japan with the proposal Japan buying 10 million tons in grain from the US to give to starving developing nations as a form of aid. Not only would this help Japan's trade surplus with the US, it would also help the poor developing nations. As the grain would not be for Japan's domestic consumption it would thus not harm Japanese farmers. Japan promptly rejected the idea, saying it did not have the resources to do it.