Abe, Trump to have golf diplomacy again in Japan

February 22, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to play golf together during Trump's planned trip to Japan, informed sources said Thursday.

Through the golf diplomacy, the two leaders hope to underscore the strong Japan-U.S. alliance.

Trump will visit Japan on May 26-28 as a state guest, the sources said. He will be the first state guest to meet the new Emperor after Crown Prince Naruhito is enthroned on May 1.

In November 2017, Trump had golf diplomacy with Abe during his first visit to Japan.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said that a round of golf allows participants to talk about various things because they spend hours together.

The two leaders are also slated to watch the May grand sumo tournament at the Kokugikan arena in Tokyo's Ryogoku district on May 26, the final day of the tournament.

But the U.S. investigation into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election is expected to finish as early as next week. The results could affect his travel schedule. Jiji Press