Abe, Obama chat over sushi

March 25, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former U.S President Barack Obama chatted over sushi lunch at a high-end restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district Sunday.

Abe and Obama met for the first time since they visited Pearl Harbor in Hawaii together in December 2016.

They talked about old times, including their visit to Hiroshima in May 2016. Obama was the first sitting U.S. president to visit either of the two atomic-bombed cities in Japan.

The meeting took place at an important juncture to the two countries. The United States has invoked steel and aluminum import tariffs on Japan and other countries, while a summit is being considered between current U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

But a Japanese government official said Abe and Obama met "in order to renew their friendship."

Obama was greeted by Abe in front of the restaurant. They exchanged words and shook hands in smile.

Obama is known as a sushi fan. Abe dined with Obama at a different sushi restaurant in Ginza when he visited Japan as U.S. president in April 2014.

Also on Sunday, Obama delivered a speech at a conference in Tokyo. He expressed hopes that the United States and Japan will continue to cherish the bond of friendship formed after World War II. Jiji Press