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WASHINGTON, May 24-- U.S. President Donald Trump left Washington on Friday for his four-day Japan visit as the first state guest since the enthronement of Japan's new emperor, a trip seen by experts as more ceremonial than substantive. During his visit, Trump will meet with the new Japanese emperor and empress, hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and attend a sumo match, a senior Trump administration official told reporters earlier this week. The president will also tour the Yokosuka U.S. Naval Base, the official added in a tele-conference briefing on the condition of anonymity. Trump's visit comes as the two countries are at odds on trade, with Washington having slapped metal tariffs on Japan and threatened duties on its autos. Noting that Trump's visit will cover "a broad range of topics" in bilateral ties, the official acknowledged that it will not be trade-centered. "I don't think that the purpose of this trip is to focus on trade," the official said, adding that the "heart of the visit" is to be the state guests of the new emperor. "It's almost completely symbolic in nature, affirming the alliance, showing respect to the new emperor, and lending support to Abe before upcoming elections," Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Xinhua. For Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the study of the Presidency and Congress, the trip is an effort to strengthen bilateral ties. "This visit reflects the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship," Mahaffee told Xinhua. | 
