Abe, Trump Play Golf Together for 5th Time

May 26, 2019

Mobara, Chiba Pref.- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting U.S. President Donald Trump played golf together on Sunday morning, sharing a round for the fifth time.

Japanese professional golfer Isao Aoki joined the two leaders, both golf lovers, in the round at a golf course in the city of Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo.

Wearing a blue jacket and white pants, Abe welcomed Trump at the golf course shortly past 9 a.m. (midnight Saturday GMT). Trump arrived at the gold field in a helicopter.

They shook hands and waved with a smile to journalists who gathered to cover the event. The two leaders and Aoki had breakfast at the golf course and then started to play the round. They played a total of 16 holes amid scorching heat wave.

Aoki was invited to a dinner party hosted by Abe and his wife, Akie, when Trump came to Japan the previous time, in November 2017, for his first visit to the Asian country since his inauguration in January that year.

As Trump has admired beautiful putts Aoki made during his tough battle with now-retired U.S. professional golfer Jack Nicklaus during the 1980 U.S. Open, the Japanese government invited Aoki to join the Japanese and U.S. leaders in Sunday's round. Aoki finished second, two shots behind Nicklaus, in the 1980 championship.

"The weather is fine, and the summer grand sumo tournament is now increasingly exciting," Abe told reporters at the prime minister's office in Tokyo earlier on Sunday. "I want to make the Japan-U.S. alliance more unwavering in the new Japanese era of Reiwa."

Trump and his wife, Melania, arrived in Japan on Saturday afternoon for a four-day visit as the first state guests to the country since the enthronement of new Japanese Emperor Naruhito and the start of the new era, both on May 1.

On Sunday afternoon, Trump will watch final-day matches of the summer tournament of professional sumo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo.

Later, the two leaders and the first ladies will have dinner together at a "robatayaki" traditional Japanese grill restaurant in the Roppongi district in the Japanese capital.

Abe and Trump are set to hold summit talks in Tokyo on Monday. Trump is slated to meet with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on the day. Jiji Press