Over three days hosting Donald Trump in Tokyo, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe reminded his peers that when it comes to flattering the US president, nobody does it better.
Speaking alongside Mr Abe at Akasaka Palace on Monday, Mr Trump said he was “thrilled to be back in the Land of the Rising Sun”, the country he routinely bashed during the 2016 presidential race. His praise was testament to the way Mr Abe has cultivated the US president since he flew to New York in November 2016 to congratulate the president-elect.
In his quest to keep Mr Trump on side, Mr Abe invited him to become the first world leader to meet Emperor Naruhito, who ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne this month. Attending a state banquet at the Imperial Palace on Monday evening, Mr Trump seemed to approve. “We are profoundly honoured to return to Japan as your nation’s first state guests following the enthronement of his majesty the emperor,” he declared.