On the second leg of his Asia tour, U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, where he was warmly welcomed by Emperor Naruhito. Upon arrival at the Imperial Palace, the Emperor greeted Trump with a smile, and the two leaders shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
A video released by Japanese media shows the Emperor and Trump smiling for photographs before entering the palace together.
Trump will stay in Japan for three days, during which he will meet Japan’s newly appointed and first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, for the first time. The meeting is seen as a diplomatic test for Takaichi, who took office just a week ago and leads a fragile coalition government.
The United States remains Japan’s most important security and defense partner, and Trump’s visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties.
The main focus of Trump’s Asia trip is trade, as he seeks to reshape the global economic order under his “America First” policy.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump attended the ASEAN Regional Summit in Malaysia, where he held discussions on regional cooperation and economic issues.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Chinese officials have indicated that a bilateral trade agreement is nearing finalization. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to formally conclude the deal at their upcoming meeting.