Trump visit to Japan eyed for May 26; may be 1st guest to meet new emperor

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to be invited to Japan for around three days from May 26, possibly making him the first foreign state guest to meet Crown Prince Naruhito after his planned accession to the throne, Japanese government sources said Monday.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government is apparently seeking to demonstrate the strong Japan-U.S. alliance by offering Trump its highest-ranking visit following Japan's imperial accession on May 1. "The United States is the most important country for Japan. Mr Trump is the most suitable (foreign guest) to meet the new emperor first," one of the sources said.

If realized, Trump would visit Japan twice in around a month, as he is also expected to attend the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, in late June. Trump, when he visited Japan in November 2017 as an official guest, had met Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. The 85-year-old emperor, however, plans to abdicate on April 30, becoming the first living Japanese monarch to do so in about two centuries. During the envisioned state trip, Trump is expected to meet Abe and brief him on the outcome of the second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, scheduled for Feb 27 and Feb 28 in Vietnam.

The U.S. and Japanese leaders are likely to reaffirm their cooperation in dealing with North Korea's denuclearization, and the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. Trade is also likely to be on the agenda, as the two leaders agreed last September to launch negotiations for a bilateral pact. Abe and Trump, both of whom are avid golfers, may also head on to the fairways again, as they did on the sidelines of bilateral summits held in the United States and Japan.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/politics/trump-visit-to-japan-eyed-may-26-1st-guest-to-meet-new-emperor