• U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, on May 27, as Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack. Abe said Monday he will visit Pearl Harbor with Obama at the end of this month, becoming the first leader of his country to go to the U.S. Naval base in Hawaii that Japan attacked in 1941. | AP
    U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, on May 27, as Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack. Abe said Monday he will visit Pearl Harbor with Obama at the end of this month, becoming the first leader of his country to go to the U.S. Naval base in Hawaii that Japan attacked in 1941. | AP
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In a surprise announcement Monday night, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would make a historic visit to Pearl Harbor with U.S. President Barack Obama — the first by a sitting Japanese leader to visit the place with the U.S. leader — on Dec. 26 and 27 during a trip for his final summit with him.

The stunning declaration came just two days ahead of the 75th anniversary of the attack that propelled the U.S. into World War II.

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