
President Donald Trump made history on Monday at Japan's Imperial Palace, where he became the first world leader to meet the nation's new emperor and empress.

The president and first lady Melania Trump began the formal visit with handshakes and an intimate greeting at the palace's front entrance.

Audio was strictly forbidden at the encounter, but the president appeared to to thank Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako for their incredible hospitality.

'How are you? Thank you very much,' he mouthed as he approached the imperial couple. He congratulated the monarch on his enthronement, which he said people are talking about all over the world.

Melania Trump told the empress, 'Nice to meet you.' The two couples proceeded to speak in hushed tones.

Emperor Naruhito and his wife studied at Oxford and spoke English to the Trumps. In a more formal setting several minutes later, the imperial family spoke to the U.S. president and first lady in Japanese, and the couples conversed through translators.

Melania wore a $4,290 white Carolina Herrera dress with floral detailing and red stiletto pumps for the welcome ceremony. The empress wore a cream skirt suit with a cream hat and matching cream pumps. She carried a clutch and gloves that were cream, also.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump met Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Monday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo

Trump got the red carpet treatment on Monday at Japan 's Imperial Palace, where he made history by becoming the first world leader to meet Emperor Naruhito

The president and first lady began the formal visit with handshakes and a quiet greeting with audio strictly forbidden on the encounter

Melania Trump, who wore a $4,290 white Carolina Herrera dress with floral detailing, told the empress, 'Nice to meet you'

At Akasaka Palace later in the morning, during a conversation with President Trump said he had 'fun' at the welcome ceremony that followed, and it was an 'honor' to be first foreign leader to meet the new emperor.

Trump met Naruhito's father, Akihito, the last time he was in Japan. The president and first lady participated in a state call in November of 2017 during a similar visit.

'It was very special the last time, and this is very big,' he said at the beginning of a bilateral meeting with the Japanese prime minister. 'All over the world, they're talking about it.'

He'll see the emperor and empress again at a state banquet on Monday evening local time. The Trumps zipped across town from the Imperial Palace to Akasaka for meetings with Shinzo Abe and the Japanese government.

The first lady has her own program at the government building. She'll rejoin her husband at Akasaka for a joint news conference between the U.S. and Japanese governments.

On Monday morning, the couple began their day at the Imperial Palace. They participated in a red carpet welcome ceremony in a large court after a formal introduction to the imperial family.

Two military officers escorted the U.S. president along a red carpet that covered the vast expanse, taking him to review the troops while 'Stars and Stripes Forever' played and his wife and the imperials watched from afar.

Trump and the new Emperor walked together just ahead of the first lady and Empress on Monday on a hot, sunny day at the Imperial Palace

The president and first lady kicked off the formal visit with handshakes and greetings with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Monday

Melania and the Empress chatted as they followed their husbands during the welcome ceremony at the Imperial Palace

Trump waved as schoolchildren feverishly swung U.S. and Japanese flags back and forth. It was a particularly hot day in Tokyo, and some of the students were affected by the heat. They were treated with cups of water and cool compresses.

The U.S. president and Emperor Naruthio greeted each other's delegation, before they disappeared inside the Imperial Palace for a gift exchange.

Inside, they shared several minutes of small talk that was barely audible. They couples spoke alone for close to half an hour. Cameras were rushed out of the room before the gift exchange took place, but a White House official said the president gave the emperor a handmade viola from Charleston, West Virginia.

The vintage viola crafted in 1938 came in a custom case. Trump gifted Emperor Naruhito a signed photo of American composer Aaron Copland, as well.

He also presented the emperor with a signed, framed photograph of himself. It's a Japanese tradition for the emperor and visiting leaders to exchange autographed photos, the White House official told press.

Melania Trump gave the empress a custom White House desk set that included a pen carved from a red oak tree in Old Harvard Yard - an acknowledgement of the empress's undergraduate studies at the prestigious American university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She also presented the imperial couple with a photo of herself.

The emperor's gift to Trump was a traditional Japanese pottery and porcelain bowl and a signed and framed photo. Melania received an 'ornamental Japanese lacquer box with traditional design' and a signed and framed photo of the empress.'

Trump's next stop was Akasaka Palace, the Japanese state guest house, for meetings, a working lunch and joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Speaking alongside Abe during a press conference later on Monday, Trump said he would back the prime minister's efforts to open communications with Iran

EMPEROR NARUHITO AND THE IMPERIAL FAMILY Emperor Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, 2019 after his father, Akihito, abdicated and entered retirement. Rulers traditionally hold on to the throne until their death, but Akihito stepped down to make way for the reign of his 59-year-old son. Naruhito's reign will be formally known as the 'Reiwa' era, and he will be renamed the Reiwa emperor when he passes. He is Japan's 126th monarch. The Japanese emperor was once the head of government and of state affairs. Since the conclusion of World War II, the position is ceremonial. A prime minister, currently Shinzo Abe, runs the country's affairs. Naruhito studied at Oxford and speaks English. He plays both golf and tennis. He is married to Empress Masako, who briefly lived in New York as a girl and went to high school in a suburb of Boston. She earned her degree in economics from Radcliffe College, which later merged with Harvard. She went on to study at Oxford, as well. Naruhito and Masako have one child: Princess Aiko, who is not eligible under Japanese law to ascend the throne. Another male in the blood line, Hisahito, is next in line to lead the monarchy. Advertisement

Later during his meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, Trump said he could lean on Japan to smooth over relations with Iran, considering the close relationship Shinzo Abe has with the Iranian government.

'Nobody wants to see terrible things happen. Especially me,' he asserted at Akasaka Palace in a meeting Abe.

Trump said in remarks at the beginning of the discussion that he'd had fun during the first three days of his trip – which included sumo, golf and an imperial welcome ceremony – but now the leaders must get down to the business of discussing the threat from North Korea and the continuing trade imbalance.

'We've had some great talk on trade, and great talk on North Korea,' he said.

He said the relationship had 'never been better than it is right now with Japan' telling press, 'I feel that we understand each other right.'

'We have a situation where we have the best relationship that we've ever had with Japan, and we're going to keep it that way,' he insisted.

Trump said they would also discuss the 'tremendous imbalance' of trade between the two nations.

He'd been tweeting about the topic for days, even though trade talks were not the purpose of the trip to Tokyo.

'This meeting was really having to do with the enthronement of the emperor,' he acknowledged.

He noted that he was the first foreign leader to meet Emperor Naruhito after his May 1 enthronement. 'And that was a great honor. That's a big thing - 202 years, that's the last time this has happened - It's a big thing,' he said.

Trump complimented the Japanese people on their 'long and prosperous history' and called them an 'incredible people' with a 'truly amazing prime minister' whom he said he expects to do a lot of business with over the next couple of years.

'This is an incredible culture. When you talk about interesting and really fabulous places and countries, Japan is going to be right at the top of that list,' he said.

While their husbands held talks, Melania and Akie Abe, the wife of Japan's Prime Minister, viewed the koi carp pond at Akasaka State Guest House

Melania and Akie waved after looking closely at the koi carp pond during their visit as their husbands discussed Iran, North Korea, trade and other issues

A smiling Mrs Trump accepted a bouquet of flowers from a Japanese child during a cultural event at Akasaka guest house on Monday

Melania and Akie watched on as a traditional Japanese dance was performed for them inside the State Guest House

Abe had stopped and started so a translator could give the English-language version of his remarks, which he gave in Japanese before Trump laid out his goals for the meeting.

Trump delivered his long, winding address all at once. A translator spoke for several minutes from his notes for a Japanese audience before the program moved on.

When he'd finished, Trump spoke again, saying three separate meetings would follow: one on military, one on trade and one on North Korea.

'We will be discussing in great detail. Those three very important events, and a lot of things are happening,' the U.S. president said.

The U.S. president and first lady were meeting with Japanese families whose loved ones were abducted by North Korea on Monday afternoon at Akasaka Palace before the press conference that concludes the business portion of Trump's visit.

President Trump had said in a weekend tweet that some people, including his advisers, believe that North Korea is an imminent threat to the United States. He said he does not share their opinion and believes a short-range missile test is not especially concerning.

'I personally think lots of good things will come with North Korea,' President Trump said on Monday. 'I may be right. I may be wrong, but we'll see.'

He said the U.S. had come 'a long way' in its relationship with the regime.

Trump said a great 'respect' has been built with the United States and North Korea. 'Let's see if something constructive can come.'

Trump was the center of attention as he was escorted down the red carpet to review an honor guard

Trump passed in front of a group of schoolchildren feverishly waving U.S. and Japanese flags as he walked along a red-carpeted route to review troops

Trump stood at attention alone atop a platform as Emperor Naruhito, Mrs Trump and Empress Masako watched on

Trump walked down the red carpet to review Japanese troops while Naruito and both men's wives held back

On trade, he said the U.S. must do a 'little bit of catching up' but thinks it can be evened out quickly.

He suggested the gap would be driven down quickly by heavier Japanese military spending. Trump said the sale of military equipment would bring the spending deficit way down.

Trump said he would visit two military ships on Tuesday before he returns to Washington. One 'spectacular American aircraft carrier' and a Japanese ship that he said was new but is actually an old vessel that the Japanese retrofitted.

'We're doing a combination. We're going to do a double,' he said of the visit to the Japanese and American ships.

This evening, the president noted that he's the guest of honor at a state dinner. 'That's something that's very special,' he said.

Abe stressed that the two nations have a close relationship in remarks before Trump spoke. He said he's played golf with Trump several times, including on an April visit when they hit the links at a course the president owns in Virginia.

They played with Japanese golfer Isao Aoki 'who had a very fierce battle' with American golfer Jack Nicklaus in 1980.

Abe said it was also a 'pleasure' for Japanese sumo wrestler Asanoyama to receive a trophy directly from the president at a Sunday evening sump event.

He said they would discuss 'various challenges of the international community' and that includes North Korea.

'At home and abroad that there is a very strong bond of Japan US alliance in the era of Reiwa,' he said.

Trump noted that Abe and Japan are on good terms with Iran. He said they 'have a really good relationship' and the topic would come up.

'If they'd like to talk, we'd like to talk also,' he said of Iranian leadership.

'Nobody wants to see terrible things happen. Especially me,' he added.