Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi rolled out the red carpet for Donald Trump on Tuesday. Trump in turn had warm praise for Takaichi, telling her that the US would be there for "anything you want, any favours you need, anything… to help Japan". The two leaders signed a deal on rare earth minerals, as well as a document heralding a new "golden age" of US-Japan relations which reiterated the commitment of the two countries to implement deals struck earlier, including the 15% tariff deal negotiated earlier this year. The pageantry and the venue also seemed tailor-made for the US president. A full military guard of honour and band welcomed Trump to the ornate Akasaka Palace, with its vaulted ceilings and gold-encrusted walls not unlike what the president wants in his planned White House ballroom. Over lunch, Trump congratulated Takaichi for becoming Japan's first female prime minister. Notably, according to a White House readout, that lunch was "American rice and American beef, deliciously made with Japanese ingredients" - a move that will no doubt have delighted Trump, who has long demanded that Japan buy rice from the US. (BBC)