the arrival ceremony at the white house is about half an hour. ♪

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>> attention!

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>> distinguished guests, please rise if you are able as honors are rendered to the president and remain standing for the arrival of the prime minister of japan and mrs. kishida and the playing of the national anthems of japan and the united states. ♪ >> distinguished guests, the president of the united states and dr. biden. ♪

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>> distinguished guests, the national anthem of japan followed by the national anthem of the united states. ♪

♪ ♪ [the star spangled banner playing] ♪

♪ >> distinguished guests, please be seated. ♪

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>> distinguished guests, the president of the united states. pres. biden: mr. prime minister. [applause] welcome, welcome, welcome. on behalf of jill and me, the vice president, the second gentleman, and all the american people, welcome to the white house. 64 careers ago our two nations

signed a treaty of cooperation and security. president eisenhower said his goal was to establish an indespuctable partnership between our countries. today the world can see that goal has been achieved. and that partnership between us is unbreakable. pres. biden: the alliance between japan and the united states is the cornerstone of peace, security, prosperity, in the indo-pacific and around the world. ours is truly a global partnership. for that, mr. prime minister, i thank you.

[speaking japanese] pres. biden: the prime minister is a visionary and courageous leader. when russia began its brutal invasion of ukraine two years ago herb did not hesitate to condemn, sanction, and isolate russia and provide billions in assistance to ukraine. [translator speaking japanese] pres. biden: under his leadership, japan set in motion profound changes in its defense policies and capabilities.

now, now our two countries are building a stronger defense partnership and a stronger indo-pacific than ever before. [translator speaking japanese] pres. biden: as president of the g-7 last year, the prime minister rallied japan's partners to take action on nuclear disarmament. floabl poverty, economic resilience, and other critical issues that shape peace and opportunity for billions of people around the world. [translator speaking japanese]

pres. biden: last year, the prime minister took one of the boldest steps yet when he and president yuen of the republic of korea decided to heal old wounds and start a new chapter of friendship. our historic summit that i hosted at camp david marked the start of an entirely new era, infused with hope, shared values, and focused relentlessly forward. because these leaders know that the division that defined us in the past, do not need to define us in the future. [translator speaking japanese]

pres. biden: that has also been the story of japan and the united states. just a few generations ago, our two nations were blocked in a devastating conflict. it would have been easy to say we remain adversaries. instead, we made a far better choice, we became the closest of friends. [translator speaking japanese] pres. biden: today, our economic relationship is one of the strongest and deepest in the world. our democracies are beacons of freedom, shining across the

globe. and the tides of friendship, family, connect the japanese and american people as the source of joy, meaning, and meaning for millions and millions of our people. [translator speaking japanese] pres. biden: japanese americans have made historic contributions across american life for generations. that includes my mentor and one of my closest friends ever in the united states senate, senator daniel inouye. a decorated war hero, a senator for almost 50 years, and a

recipient of the medal of honor. yesterday, the prime minister laid a wreet at the national japanese american memorial in honor of daniel inouye's 100th birthday, something i truly appreciate you having done. [translator speaking japanese] [applause] pres. biden: mr. prime minister, you and i have been entrusted with protecting and advancing a monumental alliance between our two great democracies.

together, we made it closer, stronger, and more effective than ever before in history. i thank you, mr. prime minister, for your partnership, your leadership, and your personal friendship. [translator speaking japanese] pres. biden: let me end with this. it is spring in washington. the sun is shining. every spring, cherry -- cherry blossoms bloom across this city thanks to a gift from japan of 3,000 cherry trees over a century ago. people travel all over our

country and the world to see these magnificent blossoms. [translator speaking japanese] pres. biden: last night, prime minister and mrs. kushida and jill and i took a stroll down the driveway and across the lawn here at the white house to visit three cherry blossom trees. one that jill and mr. kushida planted a year ago. the other two part of 150 new trees japan is giving the united states to honor our 250th anniversary two years from now. they'll be planted at the tidal

basin. like our friendship, these trees are timeless, inspiring and thriving. [translator speaking japanese] pres. biden: may god bless the japanese and american people. may god protect our troops. mr. prime minister, welcome back to the white house. [translator speaking japanese] pres. biden: the floor is yours.

>> distinguished guests, the prime minister of japan. [applause] [speaking japanese] >> mr. president, dr. biden, distinguished guests. i thank president biden for the warm words of welcome. i am pleased to see that the cherry tree miswife planted with

dr. biden last year is growing beautifully. [speaking japanese] >> the cherry trees along the potomac river are a symbol of the friendship between japan and the united states. these japanese-born cherry trees

have been sounding the arrival of spring to the city for over 110 years, just as the local residents have cherish and protected these cherry tree, the japan-u.s. relationship has been supported and nurtured by the many people who love each other's country. [speaking japanese] >> the development of the japan-u.s. relationship is the fruit of the historical cooperation between the two countries. along with the trust between the leaders and cooperation between our governments, numerous people-to-people exchanges in

ranging fields is shaped the friendships between our countries. [speaking japanese] >> the cooperation between our countries bound together by common values and commitments has become a global one with the scope and depth covering outer space and the deep sea. [speaking yap these] [speaking japanese]

>> today the world faces more challenges and difficulties than ever before. as a global partner, japan will join hands with our american friends, and together we will lead the way in tackling the challenges of the indo-pacific region and the world while tirelessly developing the relationship between our countries with a view to the world 10 and even 100 years from now. [speaking japanese]

>> in japan, it is said that the cherry trees planted in this area have a life span of about 60 years. however, thanks to the efforts of the cherry tree guardians, the trees have shown their strong vitality, blooming beautifully for more than 100 years without waning. [speaking japanese] >> when i heard some of the

trees would be replaced, as president biden mentioned earlier, i decided to send 250 new cherry trees to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the united states. [applause] [speaking japanese] >> the friendship between japan and the united states will continue to grow and bloom around the world, thriving on

the friendship, respect, and trust of the people of both countries. i am confident that the cherry blossom-like bond of the japan-u.s. alliance will continue to grow even thicker and stronger here in the indo-pacific, and in all corners of the world. [speaking japanese] >> mr. president, dr. biden, distinguished guests, thank you once again for your warm welcome, hospitality, and friendship. [applause]

>> attention! >> distinguished guests, please rise if you are able for the conclusion of the ceremony and departure of the official party. >> mr. president, this concludes the ceremony. ♪

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