President Bush has arrived in Japan at the start of an eight-day trip to Asia that will also take him to South Korea, China and Mongolia.

George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush step off Air Force One at Osaka International Airport en route to Kyoto, Japan

President Bush meets here in Japan's ancient capital with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Wednesday, for talks expected to focus on a potentially calamitous outbreak of Avian flu, as well as the Japanese ban on American beef imports, imposed two years ago over concerns about Mad Cow disease.

U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley says the beef ban will not get worked out during this visit. He is downplaying expectations on a number of issues surrounding this trip including the American trade deficit with China and stalled World Trade Organization talks saying he does not think there are going to be any of what he calls "headline breakthroughs."

President Bush will make a speech on democracy here in Japan which Mr. Hadley says will offer a positive vision of American engagement in Asia and the importance of freedom for the region's continued success.

He will then leave for South Korea and the annual meeting of the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum - APEC.

On the sidelines of that summit, the American president will hold separate talks with the leaders of South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia.

In China, President Bush meets with President Hu Jintao, to discuss trade relations, intellectual property rights and six-party talks aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.

Mr. Bush will then be the first sitting president to visit Mongolia, where he will thank leaders there for contributing troops to military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.