US President Donald Trump left the White House by helicopter after 8 am local time (after 10 pm Japanese time) about three hours before Mr. Biden's inauguration.
Mr. Trump will then make his final speech at a military base on the outskirts of Washington, DC, before heading to Florida's former villa, Mar-a-Lago, on a presidential plane.
The fact that the old and new presidents meet at the inauguration ceremony is also regarded as a symbol of a peaceful transition of power, and it is extremely unusual for a retiring president to not attend.