After sumo, golf and dinner, Trump and Abe get down to business

May 27, 2019 | News On Japan

May 27, 2019 (Japan Today) - After a fun-filled weekend of golf, sumo, cheeseburgers and charcoal-grilled meat and vegetables, U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are set to hold formal talks Monday, with trade and tensions with North Korea topping the agenda.

The two "golf buddies" enjoyed a round at a course near Tokyo before Trump donned slippers to present the gargantuan President's Cup to the winning sumo wrestler on the final day of the summer basho or tournament.

But Monday sees the start of the more formal section of the four-day state visit as Trump becomes the first foreign leader to visit Japan's new emperor Naruhito, who took the Chrysanthemum Throne only three weeks ago, after his father's historic abdication.

Trump visits Naruhito in the morning, before an hour of talks with Abe, with the day culminating in a state banquet with the emperor.

The president has already set out his stall on the two main issues confronting the two allies: trade, and the mounting threat from North Korea in the wake of February's failed Hanoi summit between Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un.

Within an hour of touching down in Tokyo, Trump railed against what he sees as a trade imbalance between the world's top and third-largest economies and vowed the relationship would be "a little bit more fair" after a deal.

But very soon after stepping off the course, he said that "much" of that deal would wait until Abe faces upper house elections likely in July -- as rumors swirl that the popular prime minister will combine that vote with a snap general election.

Takaichi Gets 5 Hours Sleep for 'First Time in a While'

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has drawn criticism over a social media post describing five hours of sleep as a rare luxury, as the extended Diet session prepares to begin Upper House debate on a controversial bill to establish secondary capitals outside Tokyo.

Japan Introduces Stricter Penalties for Drunk Driving

Japan began applying a new numerical alcohol threshold for dangerous driving offenses on July 21, introducing a clearer standard for cases involving impaired driving that could lead to fatal accidents.

Mount Fuji Filmed From a Helicopter

Breathtaking 4K footage filmed from a helicopter offers a sweeping aerial view of Mount Fuji and its majestic surrounding landscape.

Japan Scrambles for Oil

A covert network of shuttle tankers is carrying crude through the increasingly dangerous Strait of Hormuz as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran disrupts shipping and raises concerns over how Japan will secure the oil it needs.

Russia Calls Japan-Ukraine Drone Cooperation a Clear Hostile Act

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has criticized moves by Japanese and Ukrainian companies to cooperate on drone technology, warning that such ties would be regarded by Moscow as a "clear hostile act."

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Policeman Refuses Breath Test After Crashing Into Utility Pole

A 27-year-old police officer arrested after crashing into a utility pole in Hiroshima was found to have been driving under the influence, with a blood test detecting nearly three times the legal alcohol limit.

Police Fire Warning Shot at Knife-Wielding Woman

A police officer fired a warning shot into the air after a 42-year-old woman approached officers while pointing a kitchen knife at them on a street in Eniwa, Hokkaido, on July 17.

Armed Driver Crashes Car Into Convenience Store

A 45-year-old man was arrested early July 20 after allegedly crashing a passenger car into a convenience store in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and walking around the parking lot carrying a kitchen knife and a golf club.

Drunk Driver Rams Roaring Motorcycle

A 42-year-old man was arrested after allegedly driving under the influence and intentionally ramming a motorcycle in Togitsu, Nagasaki Prefecture, leaving its rider seriously injured.

Giant Tug-of-War Rope Snaps, Injuring Over a Dozen

More than a dozen people were injured after a massive rope suddenly snapped during a tug-of-war at a festival in Kitami, Hokkaido, sending participants falling backward onto an asphalt road.

Housing Complex With 70% Foreigners Introduces Fine System

A public housing complex in Aichi Prefecture where about 70% of households are occupied by foreign residents is showing signs of improvement after introducing multilingual communication, foreign-led neighborhood activities and a 3,000-yen fine for residents who skip community cleaning duties.

Old Sake Brewery Goes Up In Smoke

A fire that broke out at the long-established Echigo Tsurukame sake brewery in a densely populated residential district of Niigata City on July 19 destroyed the brewery and spread to at least six nearby homes, with firefighters still unable to declare the blaze fully extinguished by noon on July 20.

Husband and Wife Killed in Ashikaga Landslide

Two people found dead in a collapsed home following a landslide in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, have been identified as a married couple in their 60s who lived at the property, city officials said.

< 2 3 4 5 >