In every picture where he's standing with Trump, Prime Minister Abe....

[Tommy_Carcetti]

....appears to be in a state of a mixture of bemused horror and befuddlement, as if he feels like he's the target of a bad practical joke (but you don't know that he knows it).

Lots of world leaders have come off that way with the Madman, but it seems especially pointed when it comes to Abe.









https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Yk0loS6oC.l2lUutEIN6IA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAwO2lsPXBsYW5l/

And of course, the classic post-handshake picture:

[Madam45for2923]

1. His wife too.

[Kirk Lover]

2. It's difficult walking on eggshells while licking some trumpass.

[Hekate]

31. You mistake Prime Minister Abe's character if you think that of him

Any place a national leader travels, he travels as the national leader. Ours is a national embarrassment. Ours is also dangerous as hell.

Wherever Trump goes, leaders of our allies are going to be, at minimum, pretty polite to him to his face. The US has military bases all over, including Japan. When President Obama came to visit, he came in mutual friendship and recognition of a longtime ally. WhenTrump comes to call, he is holding a loaded gun in his hand.

[Kirk Lover]

36. I meant nothing bad re: abe....but they are walking on eggshells and kissing his ass because he's a

fucking moron. I understand they have to.

[MineralMan]

3. Abe: "As you see, we have mutually signed hats together."

"What that might accomplish is a mystery to me, but I am happy to sign a hat. It requires little. Still, the American President appears to me to be a dangerous buffoon."

In my spare time, I read minds at long distances.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. This isn't a hats situation! nt

[MineralMan]

8. For the Dotard-in-Chief, It's Always a Hat Situation

If he goes to Texas after his Asian Tour, he'll no doubt sign a Stetson that says, "Make Texis Grate Again!"

[Louis1895]

25. I asked my Japanese friend to translate Abe's writing on the hat

It says "HELP ME, i stuck sitting next to this moron!"

(Just kidding, of course. It probably says something that sounds more desperate.)

[Native]

32. The hats came from Abe. They are so playing the Dotard!

[MineralMan]

33. Maybe he'll sell them on eBay.

Autographed Hat, Signed by Donald Trump

Starting bid price $250 with FREE SHIPPING

[Native]

35. I don't think there is anything funny about this.

I'm Irish, and I've grown up eating, drinking, and sleeping with gallows humor, but there is nothing about Trump that I can bring myself to joke about. I just can't.

[SonofDonald]

37. I've lost that ability it seems

But I found another way, keep an eye on whoever has to be near the dumpf, you can tell how disgusted they are AND how fast they got that way.

Do they keep looking at their watch?, how far into a clip do they start doing that?, wasn't it Abe's wife that pretended she didn't speak English when dumpf got within groping range at that dinner a few months back?.

You know he's hated when people can't stand to be in the same room with him, remember Comey in his blue suit trying to blend in with the curtains during dumpfs meeting a few months ago?.

I wonder if mental illness has it's own distinct odor?.

[The Polack MSgt]

4. My wife is very anti-Abe

She compares him to W - not in the stupid way, but in the right wing pro-military action way

[TeamPooka]

7. she ain't wrong

[Sentath]

9. I don't think this is an endorsement of anything but his BS detector.

No one here has praised his policies. Just making note of his unmasked expressions.

[IronLionZion]

19. NK is a bigger military threat to Japan than the US

It's true they have built up their military under his leadership. They haven't invaded anyone yet.

[The Polack MSgt]

22. Like most Japanese citizens, she is concerned that he wants to scrap the "Peace Constitution"

The past several administrations and the Diet have been playing fast and loose with the 1% of GNP cap for military spending for years, and JSDF members have gone abroad as members of UN missions.

So, Abe is not the first to push the envelope on this.

Her concern is that he intends to twist the only for defense of Japan role for the JSDF into a proactive (offensive) capability.

If in fact Japan's neighbors think that this is the de facto policy - Asian stability goes out the window.

[treestar]

5. Likely he wishes Hillary was the

one he was hosting.

[Historic NY]

10. Donald................

[DFW]

11. My brother is married to a Japanese woman

If they want you to know what they're thinking, they will let you know.

If they don't want you to know what they're thinking, you will NOT know. Period!

[yuiyoshida]

12. Sounds about right...

at least with my parents.

[DFW]

13. My sister-in-law is 65 this year, so probably same generation as your parents

But that was the case for just about everyone I met when I was in Japan.

[yuiyoshida]

14. Japanese are not one to gossip

Not like Americans.

[DFW]

15. That's for sure!

When they zip their lips, they STAY zipped!

[yuiyoshida]

16. Perhaps a big difference between Asian culture

And American.

[DFW]

20. Not American--Western European

The Americans--the real ones, who were here before the Europeans arrived--were known to be similar. Of course, they were really Asians, too.

[geardaddy]

24. I don't know.

My Taiwanese ex-wife and her mother used to gossip up a storm.

[yuiyoshida]

42. its different if its in the family

But no one would ever tell someone gossip like for example in the office. It doesn't happen.

[geardaddy]

43. Yeah, I could see that.

[grantcart]

26. Not during the day

At night businessmen engage in "nomunication" and after the beer/sake/whiskey/brandy gossip like teenagers, lol.

[yuiyoshida]

44. A lot of things are said when Drunk however its understood they were drunk

even if they told the truth, it still doesn't count the following day.. because it never happened.

[GreenEyedLefty]

30. My daughter's BFF has a Japanese mother.

She and I are good friends. Much of the time she is very free with her opinions, but when she goes quiet, usually in the presence of other people, I ask her afterward what she was thinking.

[3catwoman3]

17. While I was stationed in Japan iin the late 1970s, I often...

...thought that Americans would do well to adopt the concept of saving face. I am probablyparaphrasing somewhat here, but I remember it being explained as, "Do not behave in such a way as to cause dishonor to yourself or your family."

Damn good advice, IMO.

I loved my time in Japan.

[MineralMan]

38. Yes. At a trade show I regularly attended,

some representatives of Japanese corporations had a habit of cutting into lines at the buses that ran from the convention center to the hotels. There would be dozens of people lined up for the buses at the end of the day, but groups of booth workers from those Japanese companies would go to the front of the line and push their way onto the bus.

So, I asked a friend who is fluent in Japanese to teach me a phrase that translated to: "Stop! Your behavior brings great dishonor to your company." I learned it from her and practiced it until she said I had it down perfectly.

The next time the situation arose, I said it in a stern voice to the group trying to push their way onto a bus, out of turn. The look of shock on their faces as they quickly backed away was interesting. Apparently it was quite effective.

[world wide wally]

18. I can't stand the asshole to begin with, but that fake "model smile" he learned from Melania

just makes me puke.(second to the last picture)

[Angry Dragon]

21. I think his smirk is worse

[Demit]

34. Also, when posing for a photo he stands with his rear pushed out to make himself look thinner.

That's a model's trick too.

[3catwoman3]

41. It's not...

...helping much.

[Vinca]

23. Maybe Abe thinks they're filming an episode of "What Would You Do?"

[grantcart]

28. lol. or even better

Wouldn't it be hilarious if Chris Hansen walked in and as I "Please sit over there". You know nothing good is going to happen after that.

[Vinca]

29. And have Chris carrying a basket of dead Koi fish. LOL.

[malaise]

40. Ha

[lpbk2713]

27. "Why must you be such an asshole Trump-san?"

[Snotcicles]

39. That first one looks like a background for their new ebay account. nt