Japan worries Duterte will chew gum in front of the Emperor

Japanese leaders are not only concerned about Mr Duterte's US policy but also worry that he will chew gum in front of the Emperor.

President Rodrigo Duterte's 'down-to-earth' style has some Japanese politicians worried that he will behave inappropriately at his audience with the Emperor on October 28. Photo: AP

According to AP news agency, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrived in Tokyo on the afternoon of October 25 for a three-day visit.

This is Mr. Duterte's first visit to Japan as President of the Philippines. It also takes place in the context of Mr. Duterte's foreign policy views towards the US attracting much international attention.

In the eyes of diplomats and politicians, the main issue they are concerned about now is Mr. Duterte's policy towards Washington and how Japan can contribute to mending that relationship.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida admitted that Mr. Duterte's recent statements had raised many concerns.

Mr. Kishida told the press that he planned to ask Mr. Duterte directly about his true intentions when the two attended the dinner together on the evening of October 25.

According to Mr. Kishida, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also raise this issue with Mr. Duterte during a meeting on October 26.

“I think it is very important that we fully discuss that on occasions like this and hear directly from President Duterte,” Mr. Kishida said.

But in a country where politeness and formality are highly valued, some people have expressed concern about President Duterte's overly rustic style. They are especially concerned about his meeting with Emperor Akihito scheduled to take place on Friday (October 28).

Japanese television news programs repeatedly show Mr Duterte chewing gum during meetings, while shaking hands and at other events.

Previously, a video recording of Mr. Duterte's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing also showed him walking with his hands in his pockets, chewing gum while shaking hands and attending an agreement signing ceremony.

Itsunori Onodera, a lawmaker from the ruling LDP, shared this concern on Fuji TV: "When Mr. Duterte goes to see the Emperor, his behavior during that event will have a huge impact. I believe he understands the consequences and will not do such things (like chewing gum), but I hope the Philippine side will remind him of this special moment."

Meanwhile, a former diplomat and now a Japanese political analyst, Kunihiko Miyake, said: "It's unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it. How dare he behave in ways that could embarrass his host like that?"

However, expert Miyake said that it is very possible that Mr. Duterte did so intentionally because he was unhappy about the East Sea issue.

Japan will provide Manila with two large patrol vessels for its Coast Guard, in addition to its previous pledge of 10 smaller vessels and a TC-90 military training aircraft to help the Philippines strengthen maritime security in the South China Sea.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reaffirmed Japan's policy of further expanding strategic cooperation with Manila.

According to Tuoi Tre