Japanese PM Gifts President Donald Trump Shinzo Abe’s Putter, Leaders Had Many Similarities
Posted on: October 28, 2025, 08:00h.
Last updated on: October 28, 2025, 09:15h.
- Japan has gifted President Donald Trump a putter once used by the late PM Shinzo Abe
- Abe and Trump were close friends who enjoyed golfing together
Japan’s newly sworn-in prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, gifted President Donald Trump a present that seemingly touched the billionaire during his Asia tour.
Trump is in Asia for what the White House is calling a “historic” tour where he’s “brokering peace accords, slashing trade barriers, and locking in game-changing critical mineral deals.” He’s met with world leaders, including those from Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia.
On Monday evening, Trump met with Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister. Trump took an immediate liking to Takaichi after she pledged a “golden age” regarding relations with the US and her signing of an agreement to secure the mining and processing of rare-earth elements and other minerals.
Takaichi later pulled on Trump’s heartstrings when she presented a golf putter used by the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a gift.
Did he play with it?” Trump asked. “Yes,” Takaichi responded. “Such a wonderful man. Such a wonderful man,” Trump replied.
Abe was considered among Trump’s favorite and closest foreign leaders during his first term in office. The two had many similarities.
Trump, Abe Connections
Shortly after Trump won the 2016 US presidential election, Abe cut short his appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation to travel to New York City to meet with the president-elect at Trump Tower. The two forged a close relationship, regularly talking and holding their first formal meeting at Mar-a-Lago shortly after Trump’s inauguration.
Trump and Abe both enjoyed the game of golf. In February 2017, they famously played a round together with Ernie Els at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Fla.
“Having a great time hosting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the United States!” Trump tweeted on Feb. 11, 2017, with a photo of them golfing.
Trump and Abe played golf again in November 2017 at the Kasumigaseki Country Club, in April 2018 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm, and again in May 2019 at the Mobara Country Club.
Abe’s putter wasn’t the first golf gift given to Trump. In 2016, Abe presented Trump with a gold-colored Honma Beres S-O5 driver.
Casinos, Assassinations
Abe and Trump’s love of golf wasn’t the only thing they had in common. The duo also believed casinos could be economic engines for both business and government.
Trump, of course, made part of his wealth through his Atlantic City and Northwest Indiana casinos. As prime minister, Abe pushed his controlling Liberal Democratic Party to pass legislation authorizing as many as three integrated resort (IR) casinos.
Takaichi, now the LDP leader, is expected to reunite the casino movement. Only one casino, MGM Osaka, was approved during the country’s first bidding round.
Along with golf and casinos, Trump and Abe unfortunately shared another similarity in that they have both been the target of assassination attempts. Trump survived his July and September 2024 assassination attempts, respectively in Pennsylvania and Florida.
Abe wasn’t so fortunate.
On July 8, 2022, Abe was shot and mortally wounded while delivering a campaign speech in Nara. This week, a 45-year-old man pleaded guilty to the act.
The man reportedly blamed Abe for promoting the Unification Church, a religious institution he held a grudge against after his mother donated most of the family’s money to, around 100 million yen (US$663K).
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