President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the White House for an official visit and state dinner with an arrival ceremony full of pomp.
Abe and his wife, Akie, arrived on the South Lawn in a black limousine bearing a Japanese flag and were greeted by the Obamas. The first lady and Akie Abe stood and chatted as their husbands inspected the military, stopping to shake hands with guests, including what appeared to be some school children, prompting a round of excited squeals.
Obama called the country one of the U.S.’s “closest allies in the world” and said for the Obama’s it was a chance to return the favor. The first lady traveled to Japan last year and Obama noted in Tokyo last spring he had played soccer with ASIMO the robot.
“This visit is a celebration of the ties of friendship and family that bind our peoples,” said Obama, who said he was 6 when his mother took him to Japan.
And, he added the visit was also an opportunity for Americans, “especially our young people, to say thank you for all the things we love from Japan. Like karate and karaoke. Manga and anime. And, of course, emojis.”
He noted the visit also has historic significance. President Eisenhower in 1960 welcomed Abe’s grandfather, then the prime minister, to the White House. They signed a security treaty that Obama says, “endures to this day, committing America and Japan to an indestructible partnership.”
Abe’s visit risks being overshadowed by calls for him to offer an apology for Japan’s wartime actions, including forcing South Korean women to work in wartime brothels.
Observers said Abe is unlikely to offer any new apologies when he delivers an address to Congress on Wednesday, but Obama in his welcoming remarks noted that the U.S.-Japan alliance was focused on security, fair trade, and human rights for all, "including women and girls, because they deserve to truly shine."
Abe told the crowd that his top priority has been to revitalize the U.S.-Japan alliance which he called "more robust than ever. "
And he said new security guidelines will allow the country to become more engaged in international peacekeeping efforts.
“The world is facing numerous challenges, more than ever,” Abe said, speaking through a translator. “Japan will be at the forefront with the United States in addressing regional and global challenges, while developing our bilateral ties with the United States in a consistent manner.”