Prime minister Shigeru Ishiba has arrived at the White House for a meeting Donald Trump where Japan’s leader hopes to declare a new golden era for relations but has been briefed to expect an unpredictable US president.
Ishiba is the first Asian leader to hold a face-to-face meeting with Trump, which will include formal talks and a lunch, since the president’s inauguration last month.
For Japan, the aim is to underscore the rock-solid nature of the relationship and receive clear assurances of the countries’ shared military alliance, while attempting to establish a personal connection between the golf-obsessed Trump and model train enthusiast Ishiba.