US President Donald Trump landed in Tokyo on Saturday for a state visit that will be dominated by trade issues, but also include as centerpiece a meeting with Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito.
The visit is also being touted by Japanese and US officials as a renewed sign of a warm relationship between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump himself has said that their bond “has never been stronger, has never been more powerful, has never been closer.”
Abe has recently returned from Washington and Trump himself will be going back to Japan in a month’s time for the G20 leaders’ summit in Osaka.
“Three visits in both directions in a short amount of time is really emblematic of just how close the relationship is,” said a senior Trump official.