On February 1, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel met for the first time in person with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.
During the meeting, the Ambassador noted that “The United States is fully committed to working with Japan as a full ally to counter the challenges, and to realizing our shared vision for a truly free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Knowing Foreign Minister Hayashi’s love of music, the Ambassador brought him some special gifts from his hometown of Chicago: An autographed guitar strap and a CD from Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy.