SIGNS OF SOLIDARITY: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s wife, Yuko Kishida, will be welcomed at the White House Monday by First Lady Jill Biden.
The private White House luncheon between the two wives of world leaders, and a photo-op on the White House grounds later in the afternoon, inevitably will garner more media attention than normal.
Kishida’s visit comes just days after her husband was unharmed after a suspect threw an explosive device in his direction during a campaign event Saturday in a Western port city in Japan.
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After Monday’s tête-à-tête, Jill Biden and Yuko Kishida are expected to plant a cherry tree in a ceremony on the White House South Grounds as a symbol of the long-standing friendship between the U.S. and Japan.
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Both first ladies share an appreciation for floral motifs. For that occasion, Yuko Kishida donned a pastel kimono with a subtle floral motif. For various public daytime appearances, she has favored knee-length floral and solid dresses with tailored jackets in contrasting colors. Jill Biden has also been known to favor floral styles, as she had for her husband’s inaugural ball, wearing an ivory-colored Gabriela Hearst evening coat embroidered with the federal flowers from every state and territory in the U.S. as a sign of unity.
In May of last year, Japan’s first couple hosted a private dinner for Joe Biden at Happo-en in Tokyo, during Biden’s first trip to Japan as president for bilateral meetings with his Japanese counterpart.
