Press Releases
The Passing Away of Mrs. Irene Hirano Inouye, President of the U.S.-Japan Council
(Statement by Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu)
1. On April 9, 2020, the U.S.-Japan Council announced the passing away of President Irene Hirano Inouye.
2. President Hirano exercised superb leadership in the Japanese-American community, not only in her illustrious role as President of the U.S.-Japan Council, but also in her role as the President and founding CEO of the Japanese American National Museum. As a bridge between two nations, she also contributed to the development of Japan-U.S. relations. By actively promoting various people-to-people exchange programs and strengthening the multi-faceted ties between Japan and the U.S., she made significant progress in relations between Japan and the Japanese-American community.
3. The Government of Japan highly commends President Hirano’s leadership and achievements and expresses its greatest respect for her contributions.
4. I offer my sincerest condolences on the passing of President Hirano and extend my deepest sympathy to her bereaved families.