1 of 8 | Prime Minster Sanae Takaichi of Japan makes remarks as she stands with President Donald Trump during a dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo
President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan for dinner at the White House on Thursday night, after the two leaders held talks throughout the day aimed at strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Though not billed as a state dinner, the event in Takaichi’s honor was formal. About 70 guests — including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink — sat around seven tables in the State Dining Room that were decorated with golden table cloths upon which were laid golden cutlery. Before the fireplace was a lectern, decorated with a large golden statue of an eagle with is wings spread.
Japan’s foreign ministry described the event in a statement as “a dinner reception.”
At 7:20 p.m. EST, Takaichi, dressed in a dark gray suit and a two-string pearl necklace with her left arm ornamented by a white handbag, and Trump, wearing the blue suit and yellow tie he was seen in throughout the day, entered the East Room to a standing ovation.
In his opening remarks, Trump complimented Takaichi, who became Japan’s first woman prime minister in October, calling her “a very special person,” “an amazing person” and “a great friend and partner.”
“We’re very honored to have you with us tonight,” he said, as Takaichi bowed in response.
He then praised her election victory, remarked on how he had endorsed her and then spoke of the Japanese cherry trees about to be in bloom in Washington, D.C.
“For more than a century, this magnificent explosion of pink and white has graced America’s capital — I mean, it has been something that really represents Washington so well of the cherished friendship of two of our world’s most extraordinary nations,” he said, adding that Washington would receive 250 more of the deciduous flowering trees from the Japanese people.
“It’s 250 beautiful specimen trees, and we’ll get you over here, we’ll check them out after they’re planted.”
Takaichi began her remarks by expressing her “deepest gratitude” to Trump for hosting the dinner. She then congratulated the U.S. president on his youngest son, Barron Trump, turning 21 on Friday.
“I know he has grown up so much into a very tall, good-looking gentleman,” she said, through an interpreter.
“Donald, it is very clear where he got it of course — from his parents. There’s no doubt about it,” she continued.
She also congratulated, on behalf of the Japanese people, the United States on its 250th anniversary of its founding. She joked that she had intended to hand the trees herself to Trump, but was unable to do so because of quarantine requirements.
“A stronger Japan and a stronger America, a more prosperous Japan and a more prosperous America, I am very confident that Donald and I are the best buddies to realize this shared goal,” she said.
She then referred to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was the leader of Japan during Trump’s first term and assassinated after leaving office in 2022.
She called Abe a dear friend of both Trump and herself.
“And as I stand here today, I would like to repeat what he said with greater pride and confidence,” she said through an interpreter before speaking in English.
“Japan is back!” she said, raising her right fist into the air.
The dinner of carrot ginger veloute, Maine lobster and strawberry and vanilla cream gateau followed a day in which the two leaders announced projects worth up to $40 billion involving Japan’s GE Vernova Hitachi to build U.S. nuclear reactors in Tennessee and Alabama and up to $33 billion in natural gas generation facilities in Pennsylvania and Texas.
The leaders also announced a major critical minerals action plan to increase production and diversity of supply to strengthen the resilience of their supply chains.
A memorandum of cooperation was also signed on deep-sea minerals cooperation to accelerate joint research and development of the resources, including rare-earth muds near Japan’s Minamitorishima Island, according to a fact sheet from the White House.
