Gere dances in Japan

Gere, who is in Japan to promote his latest film, the Hollywood remake of the Japanese box-office hit Shall We Dance, accepted Koizumi's invitation but insisted that he would lead.

"I'll be the man," Gere said Tuesday before they twirled for a few seconds in Koizumi's office.

Koizumi, who has been called "the Japanese Richard Gere" because of his resemblance to the actor, discussed his love of movies in a brief meeting with Gere. They also talked about their mutual affection for the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto.

Gere, 55, told reporters the prime minister was "charming" and "spontaneous."

"It's a great honour for me to have the moments I've had with the prime minister," Gere said.

It's not the first time the media-savvy Koizumi has put on a performance with a Hollywood star. He and Tom Cruise sang a duet of Elvis Presley's I Want You, I Need You, I Love You, when Cruise visited Japan to promote his movie The Last Samurai.