The ultimate sign of respect for an ally of the US? A lavish state dinner with an equally impressive guest list, of course. The latest politician to receive the high honour is Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko, who were among a celebrity-studded guest list of 200 at the White House this week.
Every detail of the event on Wednesday was meticulously planned to represent the intertwined relationship between the two countries, from a fan adorned entrance which First Lady Jill Biden’s team said are “a symbol of life and the many paths life can take,” to 6ft table centre pieces of roses, peonies and cherry blossom and a hearty three-course menu featuring home-cured salmon and rib eye steak.
