Japan’s Koizumi to tour Graceland
Mr Bush and Mr Koizumi paid tribute to each other at a state dinner
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is due to end his visit to the United States with a trip to the home of his musical hero, Elvis Presley.
Mr Koizumi and President George W Bush will be given a private tour of the Graceland estate, in Memphis, by the singer＇s ex-wife and his only daughter.
The tour is being widely seen as Mr Bush＇s thank you to a loyal ally, who steps down from office in September.
On Thursday, the two held talks that focused on N Korea and beef imports.
At a state dinner to mark what has been dubbed the "sayonara summit" (sayonara means goodbye in Japanese), Mr Koizumi quoted from what he said was the first English song he learnt by heart.
Proposing a toast to continued US-Japanese relations, he said: "In the words of Elvis: I want you, I need you, I love you."
Koizumi: Elvis＇ biggest fan
Bush＇s reward to ally
In his toast, Mr Bush told Mr Koizumi he had "much in common" with the rock and roll icon.
"Like you, he had great hair," he said to laughter from the guests. "Like you, he was known to sing in public. And like you, he won admirers in countries far from home."
Elvis Presley＇s daughter Lisa Marie and her mother Priscilla will show the two men around the 14-acre (5.6-hectare) estate that is visited by more than 600,000 people each year.
They will see an exhibition of the King＇s personal possessions, a display of platinum and gold discs, his taste in home furnishings - such as the shag pile carpet on the ceiling - a car museum and a chapel.
Mr Koizumi＇s lifelong devotion to Elvis is well known, both at home and abroad.
He has sung Elvis songs to world leaders, sung duets with celebrities including Tom Cruise and in 2001 released a CD of personally selected classics.
Mutual thanks
The light-hearted end to Mr Koizumi＇s visit follows a day of talks on more serious issues in Washington.
Mr Bush told a news conference both he and Mr Koizumi were concerned about "unacceptable" North Korean plans to test-fire a long-range missile thought to have Alaska within its range.
Mr Koizumi warned the North it would face "various pressures" if it went ahead with the test, without elaborating.
Mr Bush hailed Japan＇s decision to restore beef imports from the US - first banned in December 2003 after a cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, was discovered in Washington state.
And he thanked Mr Koizumi for Japan＇s support in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr Koizumi said there had been no other world leader with whom he had shared the same "heart-to-heart" friendship and trust.
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