Japanese leader Shinzo Abe visits USC, where he was a student

Heading home from a weeklong visit to the U.S., Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stopped off Saturday morning for a nostalgic tour of USC, where he was a student in the 1970s.

The brief visit to USC was Abe’s final event in the United States before he headed to Los Angeles International Airport, after a week of diplomacy and economic discussions.

USC president C.L. Max Nikias escorted Abe around the campus and presented him with a USC letterman’s jacket inscribed with his name. Abe also met with faculty at the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture.

Earlier in the week, Abe addressed a joint session of Congress and was the guest of honor at a state dinner at the White House. On Thursday, he participated in a public forum at Stanford University about technological innovation. Abe visited Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo on Friday and spoke at a downtown luncheon about economic development.

Abe’s visit to USC was his first time on campus in almost 40 years, officials said. It was considered a private event and was not announced publicly in advance.

Abe had spent three semesters as a visiting student studying English and taking courses in political science, international relations and history.

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