Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan presented U.S. President Joe Biden with a variety of gifts during his state visit to the White House on April 9, 2022.
Among the gifts were a set of Wajima-nuri coffee cups and a ballpoint pen. Wajima-nuri is a traditional craft of Ishikawa Prefecture, which was devastated by the Noto Peninsula earthquake and tsunami in January 2022. Kishida explained to Biden that he had young craftsmen who had been affected by the disaster create the lacquerware especially for this occasion.
Other gifts included Okinawan coffee beans and character memorabilia such as stuffed toys and cups from Nintendo’s popular “Super Mario” video game.
Yuko Kishida, the Prime Minister's wife, presented Jill Biden with a copper accessory made in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, another traditional craft from the Hokuriku region.
After the gift exchange, the Kishidas and the Bidens rode together in the presidential limousine known as “The Beast” on their way from the White House to a restaurant in Washington, D.C., for dinner together.