N. Korea looms over Trump in Japan

Tokyo — President Donald Trump on Saturday began a four-day state visit to Japan that is high on pomp and ceremony meant to underline the strength of the alliance, even as possible trade rifts and regional tensions with North Korea loomed in the background.

The trip, with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as host, has been tailor-made to flatter Trump’s ego. The U.S. president will become the first foreign leader to meet new Emperor Naruhito since he ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne this month.

But there are also serious and even contentious issues on the periphery, among them Trump’s determination to get a better deal on trade with Japan, persuading Tokyo to pay more for the U.S. military presence here, deadlock with North Korea and rapidly rising tensions with Iran.

On Saturday, Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, said North Korea had clearly violated U.N. Security Council resolutions by testing shortrange ballistic missiles this month. He said Trump and Abe would underline the importance of maintaining the “integrity” of those sanctions resolutions.

Bolton also said North Korea had not responded to attempts by the United States and South Korea to restart talks after the breakdown of a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February.

But if Trump’s North Korea policy is in some disarray, he will at least find a friendly ear in Abe.

More sensitive could be the issue of Iran, after Trump announced Friday that he would be sending an additional 1,500 troops to the Middle East to counter what the administration says are increased threats from Tehran.

Japan has long-standing diplomatic ties with Iran and opposed the U.S. decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by President Barack Obama. On Saturday, Japanese news media said that a plan was being drawn up for Abe to visit Iran in June in an attempt to mediate and that this was something Japan’s leader would discuss with Trump.