'A great day' of golf and sumo in Japan for Trump
American president praises 'incredible evening' on 2nd day of visit amid U.S.-Japan trade tensions
U.S. President Donald Trump says he had "a great day" on Sunday playing golf and attending a sumo tournament with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The U.S. leader was on the second day of a four-day official visit to Japan, which began with Trump indicating he'd like to make progress toward reaching a new bilateral trade agreement.
Just moments after he stepped off the plane in Tokyo on Saturday, Trump said he hoped to "address the trade imbalance" and "remove barriers to U.S. exports."
"We're getting closer," Trump said.
On Sunday, Trump became the first U.S. president to watch sumo in the sport's homeland. He waved to the audience as he entered Kokugikan stadium in Tokyo's Ryogoku district and then saluted them with applause as they waved and raised their phones to take photos.
Wrestler Asanoyama won his first championship to earn the Emperor's Cup. Trump presented the 25-year-old with an additional prize, the President's Cup, a trophy topped with a bald eagle, the U.S. national bird.
After the tournament, Trump and Abe were joined by their wives for a dinner at a traditional Japanese hibachi restaurant.
Before the leaders sat down for dinner, Trump told reporters that he always wanted to see sumo wrestling and that it was an "incredible evening."
Trump also said he hopes the President's Cup that he presented to the tournament's winner will be around "for many hundreds of years."
Abe said he believes the presentation was an "unforgettable moment" for the champion wrestler.
Trump also said the leaders had a productive day discussing trade, the military and other topics during their time together.
The Japanese prime minister said golfing with his U.S. counterpart provided them time to privately share their views — ostensibly on matters beyond the sport.
Abe is trying to entertain the president and stay on his good side as the two face challenging trade talks. Appealing to Trump's taste in food, Abe served him a double cheeseburger made of U.S. beef for lunch.
The leaders played 16 holes Sunday on a golf course south of Tokyo.
Afterward, Abe told reporters: "We were able to exchange views in a cozy atmosphere. It was wonderful."
With files from Reuters