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Japanese Prime Minister and Mr. Trump plan to golf Saturday in Jupiter

Posted at 11:50 PM, Feb 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-10 23:50:12-05

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump arrived in West Palm beach Friday, where they will spend the weekend together.

It's strengthening a relationship that's already become close between two world leaders.

Prime Minister Abe was already the first leader to visit President Trump after the election, and now he's the first to visit the "Winter White House."

"Both sides have an interest in trying to make this look good. A bromance," author and Japanese professor from Temple University, Jeff Kingston, told our affiliate CNN.

Abe already gifted a gold golf club to President Trump, and now Mr. Trump will return the favor with a round of golf here.

"I know we will have a long and a very, very successful talk negotiations and a very very productive weekend," Mr. Trump said in a White House press conference.

The South Florida-Japan connection goes back over 100 years, culminating when the the Morikami Japanese Museum and Gardens blossomed 40 years ago in Delray Beach.

While Abe doesn't have a visit here planned, Bonnie White Lemay, the park administrator, says other Japanese prime ministers have stopped by.

"To be able to say there's a little bit of you here and a little bit of us there," said the park administrator, Bonnie White LaMay.

Abe has been nothing but complementary of Mr. Trump, with the commander in chief promising continued security, and Abe saying the two countries have a lot in common.

"Both of us uphold freedom and rule of the law," Abe said through a translator at a press conference.

The round of golf is expected to happen sometime Saturday morning at the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter.