Consistently Warm Atmosphere... Biden Gives Exceptional Hospitality to Guest of State Kishida During Official Visit

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (center left) and his wife Yuko arrived at Andrews Joint Base in Maryland, USA, on the 8th (local time) and were welcomed by a guard of honor.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden warmly hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko, who visited the United States on a state visit on the 9th (local time). Both sides exchanged carefully prepared gifts and shared kind words, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.

According to Yonhap News Agency, citing the White House, AP News, Kyodo News, and Jiji Press, the U.S. and Japanese leaders dined at a seafood restaurant in Washington, D.C. The Bidens presented a handcrafted three-legged table made by a Japanese-American company operating in Pennsylvania. President Biden gifted Prime Minister Kishida a signed lithograph and LP set by singer Billy Joel, along with vintage records. First Lady Jill Biden gave Mrs. Yuko Kishida a painting of the cherry blossom tree the two ladies planted in the White House garden last spring, as well as a soccer ball signed by both the U.S. and Japanese teams from a women's soccer match held last week in Georgia, USA.

Prime Minister Kishida presented President Biden with traditional Japanese lacquerware coffee cups and pens from Wajima-nuri (輪島塗), Okinawan coffee beans, and a "Super Mario" souvenir. Mrs. Yuko Kishida gifted First Lady Jill Biden accessories from Takaoka in Toyama Prefecture, an area affected by the Noto earthquake. The Kishida couple also gave cherry blossom saplings.

On the 10th, President Biden will hold talks with Prime Minister Kishida at the White House and host a state dinner in his honor. Earlier that day, Prime Minister Kishida visited Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath and later met with senior executives from American companies such as IBM, Pfizer, Boeing, Micron, and Western Digital in Washington, D.C., urging them to invest in Japan.