Biden Hosts Fifth State Supper with Japanese Prime Minister: A Celebration of Diplomatic Alliance

TFD – Join us as we delve into the cultural extravaganza and diplomatic significance of President Biden hosting the fifth state supper with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. This celebration of the US-Japan alliance promises a night of cultural fusion and diplomatic discussions.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, will be welcomed to the White House on Wednesday by President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who will be laying on the red carpet, both literally and diplomatically. The official visit will be a carefully orchestrated celebration of American and Japanese cultures, complete with Paul Simon music and towering cherry blossom branches.

When the president tries to highlight the close partnership between the two nations, the White House will embrace all the fanfare and ceremony of a state visit. Even though the battles in Gaza and Ukraine have drawn a lot of attention during his first term, Biden has made his efforts to counterbalance China and advance his Indo-Pacific strategy a central tenet of his foreign policy.

“We are honored by the thriving friendship between the United States and Japan,” Jill Biden declared during the event’s media preview on Tuesday night.

She went on, highlighting the significance of the alliance, saying, “Our nations are partners in building a world where we choose creation over destruction, peace over bloodshed, and democracy over autocracy.”

On Tuesday night, the Bidens hosted the prime minister and his spouse at the White House for a laid-back supper at a nearby seafood restaurant called BlackSalt. The official arrival ceremony on the South Lawn on Wednesday morning will start the formalities. It will feature a military review, performances of the national anthems of both nations, and speeches by the chiefs of state. After that, the leaders will have bilateral talks in the Oval Office. In the afternoon, they will both participate in a news conference.

230 people will show up for a glamorous black-tie dinner in the evening, which has been meticulously organized over several weeks by the State Department, the East Wing, the White House social team, and event director Bryan Rafanelli.

On Tuesday, Jill Biden stated, “Every detail has been meticulously planned by an amazing team of people from across our government.”

The first lady collaborated closely on Wednesday’s dinner, which combines American and Japanese flavors, with White House chief pastry chef Susie Morrison and executive chef Cris Comerford.

A vibrant first course of house-cured salmon with fritters of avocados, grapefruit, watermelon radish, cucumber, and shiso leaves will be served to guests, evoking the flavors of a California roll.

The main dish consists of a fricassee of morels and fava beans, accompanied by a dry-aged ribeye steak with shishito pepper butter.

A dessert course consisting of pink and green ingredients, such as matcha ganache, salted caramel pistachio cake, and cherry ice cream with raspberry glaze, will also harmonize with the color scheme.

Willamette Valley and Columbia Valley wines from the Pacific Northwest will be served at the White House.

The first lady also went above and beyond in creating the décor for the evening, which honors cherry blossoms, a major emblem of the US-Japan friendship, and spring.

Diners will eat in the “garden” of the East Room, a floral-forward arrangement with branches of cherry blossoms, sweet peas, roses, peonies, and hydrangeas. The tables will be covered with floral-patterned metallic pale green and white tablecloths, pink glassware, china from the collections of George W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson, and personalized place cards and menus created by the White House calligraphers’ office. The chairs will be light pink velvet.

The fan, which social secretary Carlos Elizondo described as “representing the beginning of life and each pleat representing the many paths our lives can take,” will be a significant symbol throughout the décor and act as a backdrop for the leaders’ toasts.

Visitors will stroll across a vinyl floor that resembles a koi pond as they make their way through the Cross Hall to the State Dining Room for a performance after supper.

According to Elizondo, Paul Simon would entertain the visitors with “a selection of his iconic songs.”

The ceremonial gift exchange on Tuesday was another example of the exquisite attention to diplomatic detail. According to the White House, the Bidens gave their counterparts a handmade, three-legged black walnut table that was created by a Pennsylvania-based company owned by Japanese Americans. The table features a special plaque commemorating the visit.

The president also gifted the prime minister a custom framed lithograph and a two-volume LP set autographed by the musician Billy Joel, plus a vintage vinyl record collection. Before last weekend’s SheBelieves Cup semifinal match, the first lady gave Yuko Kishida a painting depicting a cherry tree they planted together and an autographed soccer ball signed by the US Women’s National Soccer Team and the Japanese Women’s National Football Team, according to the White House.

This Wednesday’s event will be the fifth state supper that the Biden administration has thrown. Previously, the leaders of Australia, India, France, and South Korea have paid state visits to the Biden White House.