“Spring Blessings” will be the theme of President Biden’s state dinner for Japan on Wednesday night, which will be decorated with cherry blossoms and peonies and conclude with a performance by Paul Simon.
First Lady Jill Biden and White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo previewed the menu and decor ahead of a dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife. It will be the fifth state dinner of Biden’s term.
Guests enter the East Wing and face a wall of oversized fans that spill out onto the floor. The fan is a work of art and a metaphor: “The small end represents the beginning of life, and each fold represents the many paths our lives can take.” . Elizondo said.
Meals include house-cured salmon with shiso tempura (reminiscent of California rolls) and dry-aged ribeye beef with buttered Oregon morel mushrooms and shishito peppers. For dessert, there will be salted caramel pistachio cake and cherry ice cream.
Dr. Biden said the dinner was designed with spring in Washington in mind, and the decor would be reminiscent of gardens with her favorite flowers, including sweet peas, roses and peonies.
“Glass and silk butterflies from both countries will dance on the tables as guests sit among the flower gardens,” Dr. Biden told reporters on Tuesday.
The dinner will also spotlight Washington’s cherry blossoms, a gift from Japan in 1912 that “reminds us of Japan’s gift to our nation’s capital and the bright future of our partnership.” Elizondo said.
White House executive chef Chris Comerford said the dinner included ingredients sourced from across the country.
Mr. Simon will perform after dinner. Mr. Biden will also present Mr. Kishida with a two-LP set signed by Billy Joel and a vintage vinyl record collection showcasing other American musicians, the White House said Tuesday.
At the end of the night, guests return through a path of hydrangeas, a flower commonly found in both America and Japan.
Invite lists are typically announced by the White House shortly before arrivals begin, but the Biden administration tends to invite celebrities, donors, government officials, and members of the Biden family from the visiting countries.
