Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan visited North Carolina on April 12th, 2023, to strengthen economic ties and cultural exchange between the two regions. During his visit, Kishida toured the Honda Aircraft facility in Greensboro and met with students at North Carolina State University. He also had lunch with Governor Roy Cooper at the governor's mansion, marking the first time a foreign head of state has visited the mansion since record-keeping began in 1891.
Kishida's visit to North Carolina highlighted the state's importance as a destination for Japanese investment. Japan is North Carolina's largest source of foreign direct investment, with over 200 Japanese companies employing over 30,000 people in the state. Kishida's visit also underscored the strong cultural ties between Japan and North Carolina. The two regions have a long history of collaboration, including a formal partnership between North Carolina State University and Japan's Nagoya University.
Kishida's visit to North Carolina was part of a larger official visit to the United States. During his time in the U.S., Kishida met with President Joe Biden to discuss security concerns about China's military and participated in the first trilateral summit between the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines. He also made the case in an address to a joint session of Congress for the U.S. to remain involved in global security.