Washington – Elvis is out. Baseball is in.
President Bush, who had a notably cozy relationship with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, is trying to get closer to his successor, Shinzo Abe. Bush will host Abe today at the White House and on Friday at Camp David.
Their personal ties are important politically. Japan is a large financial contributor to the U.S.- led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a vital trading partner, and an ally in pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.
Abe is following a tough act.
Bush hit it off easily with Koizumi, a huge Elvis Presley fan.
The Bushes hosted a formal dinner for Koizumi last June, and the next day, Bush took him on a rollicking visit to Presley’s Graceland mansion in Tennessee.
Abe has his own connection to Bush, Wilder said.
“One thing they do share is a love of baseball, and a great deal of interest in Japan’s most significant export to the United States in the last year,” he said.
He was referring to Daisuke Matsuzaka, known as Dice-K. A pitching star in Japan, Matsuzaka was signed this year by the Boston Red Sox and has become a media fascination.
Abe’s stop also comes just as, for the first time, Toyota sold more vehicles globally in a quarter than General Motors. The White House expressed little public concern, saying the playing field is fair and consumers benefit by open markets.
Abe will meet congressional leaders, pay respects at Arlington National Ceremony and visit injured troops at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
The president and the prime minister have a huge list of topics to cover: the Iraq war, the Middle East peace process, defense cooperation, environmental and energy concerns, global trade, and North Korea.
