[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The Japanese government is considering hosting U.S. President Joe Biden, who will visit Japan from the 22nd to the 24th, at a high-end restaurant with a Japanese-style garden, Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 17th. The dinner is expected to take place on the second day of Biden's visit, the 23rd.
According to the report, Happoen was once the residence of a close aide to Tokugawa Ieyasu and is said to include a Japanese garden, a teahouse, and a wedding hall within its approximately 40,000 square meter grounds. The newspaper added that Prime Minister Kishida is also considering taking a stroll with President Biden through the Happoen garden.
The Japanese government has traditionally welcomed visiting U.S. presidents in ways that highlight Japan's unique cultural identity. When then-President Donald Trump made a four-day state visit in May 2019, then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held an unofficial dinner with Trump and his spouse at a charcoal grill specialty restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo. President Trump also watched sumo wrestling at a Japanese national facility, awarded a massive 30 kg championship cup to the winner, and attended a court banquet prepared by Emperor Naruhito.
Earlier, during then-President Barack Obama's state visit in April 2014, Prime Minister Abe hosted a dinner at a sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, which had received three Michelin stars for seven consecutive years.
The Japanese government is expected to focus on security issues during President Biden's visit. According to NHK, at the U.S.-Japan summit scheduled for the 23rd, both sides are coordinating to share the recognition that no change in the status quo by force will be accepted in any region, keeping China in mind, and to confirm plans to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of both countries.
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