Former President Bill Clinton, former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, actor Robert De Niro, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos were among the distinguished guests who attended an official state dinner with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House. The black-tie event aimed to highlight the strong alliance between the United States and Japan, with the guests being greeted at a grand entrance decorated with colorful fans symbolizing the many paths of life.
The guest list included Olympic champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Laurence Fink, and Microsoft president Brad Smith. Biden Cabinet secretaries in attendance included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Other notable attendees included Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and White House chief of staff Jeff Zients.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, and NASA administrator Bill Nelson were also in attendance. For entertainment, musician Paul Simon performed at the state dinner, chosen by First Lady Jill Biden due to Prime Minister Kishida’s appreciation for his work. This musical diplomacy was previously used during a state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, where a Broadway star performed “American Pie” leading to a memorable moment with Yoon serenading guests.
Additional guests included Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic governors, and Senators Mazie Hirono and Jeff Merkley. Members of the Biden family, including daughter Ashley Biden and granddaughters Finnegan Biden and Naomi Biden Neal, along with their spouses, were also present for the event. The gathering of political leaders, celebrities, and diplomats highlighted the importance of maintaining strong relationships between countries through cultural exchanges and alliances.
Among the attendees were United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain and former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards. Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Tennessee Republican, who previously served as US ambassador to Japan during the Trump administration, attended alongside the current ambassador, Rahm Emanuel. NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell, President of the White House Correspondents Association, and Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin were also present at the state dinner, which showcased the strategic and diplomatic efforts of the Biden administration.
