SYDNEY (AP) — Shinzo Abe has become the first prime minister of Japan to visit Darwin since the northern Australian city was bombed by Japanese forces in World War II.

He arrived for his one-day visit Friday afternoon and immediately went to lay a wreath at the city's main war memorial, alongside his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

Abe then stood solemnly with head bowed as an army bugler played "The Last Post."

The visit continues Abe's moves to show remorse for Japan's role in the war, following his trip to Pearl Harbor in 2016.

Darwin was bombed in 1942, with the loss of an estimated 240 lives.

Abe then went into meetings with Morrison, with the pair expected to announce stronger defense ties later Friday.