Visit of the U.S. President and Japanese Prime Minister to Pearl Harbor

Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, arrived in Hawaii on Monday, January 6, to visit Pearl Harbor. Japan's attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941 led to the United States' entry into World War II. According to Reuters, Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit Pearl Harbor on Tuesday alongside Barack Obama, the U.S. President, to pay tribute to the victims of this attack. Mr. Obama, who was born in Hawaii, is currently there for winter holidays. Reuters reports that Japanese leaders hope to expand their relations with the U.S. and somehow counter China's military expansion in the region. According to CNN, with Shinzo Abe's visit to Pearl Harbor, he will be the fourth Japanese Prime Minister to visit this site, but he will be the first to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. During the sinking of the USS Arizona in the attack on Pearl Harbor, 1,117 sailors were killed. In the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, 2,403 American forces were killed. Reports indicate that the Japanese Prime Minister stated that his trip to Pearl Harbor is in response to Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima. This will be the last meeting between the Japanese Prime Minister and the U.S. President. Barack Obama's presidency will end with the official inauguration of Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, on January 20. Approximately seven months ago, Barack Obama paid tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by visiting the memorial. In this context, from George Washington to Barack Obama; records of American presidents, unprecedented visit of the U.S. President to Hiroshima, 70 years since World War II passed.