Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized their close relationship Sunday by spending time together and playing golf, watching sumo and having dinner at a robatayaki charcoal grill restaurant, among other activities.
In the process of arranging the schedule for Trump's visit, the Japanese government accepted as many requests from the U.S. government as possible with an aim to help the two leaders further deepen their personal relationship of trust.
"In the new era of Reiwa, we would like to make the Japan-U.S. alliance even more solid," Abe said on a Sunday morning tweet accompanied by a selfie of himself and Trump, both wearing a big smile. Posting the image taken while the two played golf at a course in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, was apparently intended to showcase the prime minister's close relationship with the U.S. president.
This was the fifth time Abe and Trump played golf together. In the latest round, the two leaders were accompanied by professional golfer Isao Aoki, whom Trump praised as a great putter at a banquet during his first official visit to Japan in November 2017.
Aoki is famous in the United States for competing against Jack Nicklaus in the 1980 U.S. Open and finishing second. The Japanese side made a point of having Trump playing with the professional golfer. According to sources, the president finished up the round well thanks to advice from Aoki.
Inviting Trump to watch the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament was also meant to please the president, as he is a fan of combat sports and was once involved in the pro wrestling business. According to sources close to Abe, Trump's visit to the sumo tournament was undertaken following a request by the U. S. side.
The government decided at an early stage to invite Trump as the first state guest that the new Emperor would receive after the new era began at the start of May. The idea was presented during the two leaders' summit meeting on Nov. 30 on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting in Buenos Aires, and the United States agreed.
The government aimed to "showcase to the rest of the world how strong the Japan-U.S. alliance is in the new era," according to a government source. Tokyo focused on taking advantage of Trump's Japan visit to show how the two leaders strengthen their personal relationship of trust.
Abe and Trump spent a total of about seven hours together Sunday alone, including dinner at a robatayaki restaurant in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. "The prime minister expresses his real intention only when they are alone together," a high-ranking Japanese government official said. On that day, the two leaders also discussed Abe's planned visit to Iran in June and the trade talks between their countries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso described the Abe-Trump relationship as "the kind of Japan-U.S. relationship that past prime ministers had dreamed of has now been established" when he delivered a speech in Niigata Prefecture on Sunday.
However, risks are involved in enhancing relations with Trump, as the president has often made inconsistent remarks without caring much about norms.
"Numerous Japanese officials told me that the Democrats would rather see the United States fail than see me or the Republican Party succeed," Trump tweeted after playing golf Sunday.
In the United States, tensions between the Republican and the Democratic parties is intensifying ahead of the 2020 presidential election, when Trump aims to be reelected. Japan's preference for Trump could be criticized by the Democrats.
In another tweet, Trump indicated the upcoming House of Councillors election, the detailed schedule of which has not been decided yet, would be held in "July." This could spur speculations that Abe might have mentioned the schedule for the upper house election while playing golf or on another occasion.
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