Japanese prime minister tours NC, meets state leaders at Executive Mansion

Robert Willett, Brian Gordon
·1 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday became the first foreign leader to visit the North Carolina Executive Mansion, where he was honored during a luncheon.

State leaders, including Democrats and Republicans, joined Kishida, his wife, and the rest of the Japanese delegation.

North Carolina First Lady Kristin Cooper, North Carolina Governor Roy Copper, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Japanese First Lady Yuko Kishida pose for a photograph before attending a luncheon at the Executive Mansion on Friday, April 12, 2024 in Raleigh, N.C.
North Carolina First Lady Kristin Cooper, North Carolina Governor Roy Copper, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Japanese First Lady Yuko Kishida pose for a photograph before attending a luncheon at the Executive Mansion on Friday, April 12, 2024 in Raleigh, N.C.

Kishida has spent the week in the United States, and North Carolina is the only state he toured after meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington. The links between Japan and North Carolina have increased in recent years as several Japanese businesses have announced major job-creation projects in the state, including Toyota, Fujifilm and Kyowa Kirin.

“I think most of the Japanese companies that we have dealt with plan for a long, sustainable future,” Gov. Roy Cooper told The News & Observer. “And they think about planting the trees under which people they may never know will enjoy the shade.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a luncheon in his honor on Friday, April 12, 2024 at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, N.C.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a luncheon in his honor on Friday, April 12, 2024 at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, N.C.

The menu was prepared by James Beard Award-winning chef Ashley Christensen.

The first course of chilled sunburst tomato and cucumber soup at a luncheon in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, April 12, 2024 at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, N.C.
The first course of chilled sunburst tomato and cucumber soup at a luncheon in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, April 12, 2024 at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, N.C.