Trump arrives in Japan as first state guest in Reiwa Era

May 25, 2019

Tokyo--U.S. President Donald Trump arrived at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda on Saturday afternoon, as the first state guest in Japan since new Japanese Emperor Naruhito's enthronement and the start of the new era of Reiwa in the country, both on May 1.

While on board a plane carrying him to Japan, Trump said on Twitter that he is "looking forward to honoring, on behalf of the United States, His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan."

The president also said he will discuss trade and defense issues with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders are scheduled to hold summit talks in Tokyo on Monday.

The Japan visit by Trump, the second since his inauguration in January 2017, is aimed at demonstrating that the Japan-U.S. alliance will remain strong in the new Japanese era and contribute to peace and prosperity in the international community.

His first presidential visit to the Asian country took place in November 2017, but not under the state guest scheme.

Trump is the seventh U.S. president in history to visit Japan as a state guest, after Barack Obama did so in April 2014.

Abe extended an invitation for Trump to visit Japan as a state guest when they had dinner together during the prime minister's visit to New York last September to attend a U.N. General Assembly session. Abe told Trump that he will be the first foreign leader to meet with the new Emperor, and the president readily accepted the invitation.

Abe hopes to further deepen his personal ties with Trump through his ongoing Japan visit, as the Japanese leader aims to successfully chair a Group of 20 summit in the western city of Osaka in late June, as well as to resolve the issue of Japanese abductees in North Korea.

On Sunday, Trump will play golf, with Abe, in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, and then watch final-day matches of the summer grand sumo tournament at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo. The president is slated to present a special trophy to the winner of the "makuuchi" top division at the 15-day tournament.

On Sunday evening, Abe and Trump will have dinner together at a "robatayaki" traditional Japanese grill restaurant in Tokyo's Roppongi district, joined by their wives, Akie and Melania.

Monday's Abe-Trump summit is expected to cover policies on North Korea, Japan-U.S. trade negotiations and the situation in Iran, among other issues.

As the bilateral trade negotiations are under way between cabinet-level officials, the two leaders are expected to reaffirm the goal of concluding the talks promptly while refraining from holding detailed discussions.

On Iran, the prime minister aims to gain support from Trump for his planned visit to the Middle East country next month in a bid to help prevent a military clash between the United States and Iran.

Abe's ability to mediate is also seen to be tested over U.S.-China trade friction, amid growing concerns about a global economic slowdown.

Following the summit, Trump will have a meeting with relatives of the Japanese abductees. The two leaders will hold a joint press conference later that day.

Also on Monday, Trump will meet Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako and attend a banquet in the Imperial Palace.

On Tuesday, Trump and Abe will board and inspect the Izumo-class destroyer Kaga of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force at the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. The president will leave Japan later in the day. Jiji Press