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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Sushi, Pacific lobster … cheeseburgers: Japanese food fit for a president

Donald Trump looks suspiciously at a plate of food from a chef as he and Shinzo Abe and their wives have a couples dinner in Tokyo in 2019.
Donald Trump looks suspiciously at a plate of food from a chef as he and Shinzo Abe and their wives have a couples dinner in Tokyo in 2019. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

North Korea, China, trade and security. When US presidents visit Japan, the summit agenda practically writes itself. Deciding what to give them to eat, though, is a different matter altogether.

When the White House is occupied by someone with as unadventurous a palate as Donald Trump, the scope for showcasing the delicate flavours and aesthetic beauty of its cooking, or washoku, is limited.

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