Donald Trump arrives for sumo summit with Abe

Tokyo: US President Donald Trump arrived in Japan Saturday for a four-day state visit likely to be dominated by warm words and friendly images, but relatively light on substantive progress over trade.

Air Force One touched down in Japan just before 5pm local time (0800 GMT) on a sunny Tokyo afternoon and a smiling Trump descended with his wife Melania for a red-carpet greeting led by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

Trump went directly to a meeting of Japanese business executives and lost little time in arguing for a trade relationship between the world's top and number-three economy that would skew more in Washington's favour.

"Japan has had a substantial advantage for many, many years. But that's OK, maybe that's why you like us so much," Trump told the executives.

After a bilateral trade deal currently under negotiation has been signed, it will be "a little bit more fair," vowed the president.

Japanese and US officials hail as "unprecedented" the relationship between Trump and his "golf buddy", Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and the pair will again find time for a round to cement their diplomatic bromance.

Just over an hour before Trump arrived, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake rattled buildings in Tokyo, with the epicentre very close to where the leaders are due to tee off.

The official centrepiece of the trip is Trump's meeting on Monday with Japan's new Emperor Naruhito, who only ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne at the beginning of the month following his father's historic abdication for health reasons.

"With all the countries of the world, I'm the guest of honour at the biggest event that they've had in over 200 years," said Trump before his departure.

But the visual highlight is more likely to be Trump's

visit on Sunday to the final day of the summer "basho" or sumo tournament where he is expected to present the cup to the winner.