Ige to Attend White House State Dinner in Honor of Japan Prime Minister

Ige, image and graphics by Wendy Osher.

By Maui Now Staff

Governor David Ige and Mrs. Ige will represent the State of Hawaiʻi during a White House State Dinner honoring the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 in Washington, DC.

The dinner is just the eighth State Dinner of the Obama Presidency, and is being hosted at the invitation of President Obama and the First Lady.

Officials with the governor’s office say President Obama and Prime Minister Abe will recognize the “strong global partnership” that the US and Japan have developed over the past seven decades since the end of World War II, and “underscore the common values and principles that have made the bilateral relationship so enduring.”

As the closest US state to Japan, Governor Ige said Hawai’i shares a rich history with Japan. “It is an honor for us to be invited to represent our state and reinforce Hawai’i’s strong cultural and economic ties with our Japanese neighbors,” he said in a press release statement.

Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui will serve as Acting Governor during Governor Ige’s absence from April 27-29, 2015.