WASHINGTON — Under the threat of potentially devastating U.S. tariffs on autos, Japan is ready to roll out the newest phase of its charm offensive targeting President Donald Trump as it welcomes him on a state visit tailor-made to his whims and ego.

Offering high honors, golf and the chance to present a "Trump Cup" at a sumo wrestling championship, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, arguably Trump's closest friend on the world stage, will continue a years-long campaign that so far appears to have spared Japan from far more debilitating U.S. actions.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived just before 5 p.m. local time Saturday aboard Air Force One after a 14-hour journey. The president's first stop was a dinner with business leaders at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Tokyo after a brief airport welcome.

There he needled Japan over the U.S.-Japan trade imbalance, saying he two countries “are hard at work” negotiating a new bilateral trade agreement that he said would benefit both countries.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump disembark from Air Force One upon arrival at Haneda international airport in Tokyo on Saturday. JIJI PRESS / AFP - Getty Images

“I would say that Japan has had a substantial edge for many, many years, but that’s OK,” Trump told the group, joking that, “Maybe that’s why you like me so much.”

The comments underscored the competing dynamics of a state visit designed to show off the deep ties between the U.S. and Japan and the close friendship between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, even as tensions are high.

U.S. tariffs could cripple Japan's auto industry, while North Korea remains a destabilizing threat in the region. But this trip, the first of two Trump is expected to make to Japan in the next six weeks, is more of a social call meant to highlight the alliance between the countries and the friendship between their leaders.

"In the world of Donald Trump, terrible things can happen if you're an ally, but no major blows have landed on Japan," said Michael Green, senior vice president for Asia and Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Trump has the honor of being the first head of state invited to meet Emperor Naruhito since he assumed power May 1 after his father stepped down, the first abdication in about two centuries.

Naruhito will welcome Trump to the Imperial Palace on Monday for a meeting and banquet in his honor.

"With all the countries of the world, I'm the guest of honor at the biggest event that they've had in over 200 years," Trump said Thursday.

Abe will host Trump on Sunday for a round of golf and take the president to a sumo wrestling match, a sport Trump said he finds "fascinating." Trump is eager to present the winner with a U.S.-made trophy.

It's all part of a kindness campaign aimed at encouraging Trump to alleviate trade pressures, said Riley Walters, a policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, who said the personal relationship between Trump and Abe is probably the best of any two world leaders.

Abe made a strategic decision before Trump was elected to focus on his relationship with the U.S. The courtship began when Abe rushed to New York two weeks after the November 2016 election to meet the president-elect at Trump Tower. Last month, Abe and his wife, Akie, celebrated first lady Melania Trump's birthday over a couples' dinner at the White House.