Sept. 25 - President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were photographed during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with H.E. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan, and his wife, Mrs. Miyuki Hatoyama on September 23. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Sept. 25 - President Barack Obama chaired a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) at the United Nations headquarters on September 24. During his remarks on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament to members of the Security Council, President Obama returned to an issue that was a major theme of his April 5 speech in Prague during his trip to Europe for the last G20 summit. Regarding the UNSC's shared commitment to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons, the President said: "The world must stand together. And we must demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise, and that treaties will be enforced."

Sept. 24 - In remarks with Prime Minister Hatoyama after their bilateral meeting on September 23 in New York, President Obama said that they recognized the importance of "coordinating closely to continue to move beyond the current economic crisis and to focus our attention on how our economies are actually providing opportunity for ordinary citizens." He said that they "also pledged to coordinate very closely together on a range of international threats - everything from nuclear proliferation, the situation in North Korea, how we can help to stabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan, and how we address transnational issues like climate change." Also on September 23, President Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly, calling for "a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

• September 23: Remarks by the President to the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Headquarters, New York, New York
  
  
• September 22: Remarks by the President at United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's Climate Change Summit, United Nations Headquarters, New York, New York

Sept. 23 - In remarks with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada in New York on September 21, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that she is "looking forward to working with the minister, and on behalf of the Obama Administration, really rolling up our sleeves and determining how best we can broaden and deepen this already very strong relationship." [Video]

Sept. 22 - Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell met with senior members of the new Japanese government, including his counterparts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense, during his September 17-19 visit to Tokyo. Assistant Secretary Campbell reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance and consulted with the new government on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.

• Transcript of September 18 press conference at the Embassy
• Video clip

Sept. 22 - At a September 17 briefing in Tokyo, Maureen Dugan, Assistant Executive Director of the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations Admissibility and Passenger Programs, told Japanese media representatives that more than 1.7 million Japanese have successfully registered for the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) since the program became mandatory on January 12, 2009.

• ESTA information
• Japanese language video

Sept. 18 - The unpiloted H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday, September 17 (Washington, DC time) and was attached using the station's robotic arm. Launched September 10 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, the HTV is carrying about five tons of supplies to the station on its maiden voyage.

• JAXA special HTV website
• NASA website

Sept. 15 - On September 14, Deputy Chief of Mission James P. Zumwalt delivered a keynote speech on "The Midwest and Japan: Looking to the Future" at the 2009 Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference at the Imperial Hotel. In the remarks, DCM Zumwalt said the conference participants had come to Japan at a "historic moment." He added that the change in government in Japan comes on the heels of "positive changes" in the U.S.-Japan economic relationship over the past decade, with the two countries having moved beyond the trade frictions of the 1990s to a real economic partnership.

Sept. 15 - On September 14, Ambassador John V. Roos visited Yokosuka Naval Base to meet with the men and women who serve in the U.S. military. Among his stops was a tour of the USS George Washington. While in the city, the Ambassador also traveled to Yokosuka City Hall to meet with Mayor Yuto Yoshida.

Sept. 14 - On September 11, Ambassador John V. Roos called on Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary-General Katsuya Okada at DPJ Headquarters. Following a 45-minute meeting, the Ambassador told reporters, ''I look forward, and the United States looks forward, to working very, very closely with (the future Foreign Minister) on continuing to strengthen the strategic and bilateral relationship between the United States and Japan.''

Sept. 9 - Ambassador Stephen W. Bosworth, Special Representative for North Korea Policy, traveled to Asia for consultations with counterparts from China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan on North Korea issues, visiting Tokyo September 6-8. On September 8, the Department of State designated two North Korean nuclear and missile entities under Executive Order 13382, an authority aimed at freezing the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters, and at isolating them from the U.S. financial and commercial systems.

• Ambassador Bosworth's Remarks to the Media in Tokyo: Transcript and video
• U.S. Department of State Designation of North Korean Nuclear and Missile Entities

Sept. 8 - On September 7, Ambassador Roos visited the historic city of Yokohama. The Ambassador met with Kanagawa Prefecture Governor Shigefumi Matsuzawa and Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi, and toured the U.S. State Department's Japanese language institute.

Sept. 8 - The Embassy and Sophia University hosted an international symposium, "Cracking the Glass Ceiling: The Evolving Role of Women in Politics," at Sophia's Yotsuya campus in Tokyo on September 4. The event, which featured veteran political strategist Donna Brazile as keynote speaker, was opened by Ambassador Roos.

Sept. 3 - Ambassador John V. Roos called on Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama at DPJ headquarters today. Mr. Hatoyama showed the Ambassador his football helmet from Stanford University, which is also the alma mater of the Ambassador. Afterwards, Ambassador Roos told the press that it was a "very warm meeting" and said that he is "very excited about working with this new government."

Sept. 3 - On September 2, President Obama made a congratulatory call to Yukio Hatoyama, President of the Democratic Party of Japan. President Obama and Mr. Hatoyama stressed the importance of a strong U.S.-Japan Alliance and their desire to build an even more effective partnership. President Obama expressed his desire to work with Mr. Hatoyama and the Japanese government and said he looks forward to seeing him later this month.
[Full text of White House readout]

Sept. 1 - With support from the U.S. Embassy, the America-Japan Society will host the first annual "American Studies Conference 2009" for university students on September 9 at the International House of Japan. The conference will feature presentations by leading Japanese graduate students on a variety of subjects, including Diversity Studies, Politics, and Cultural Studies in the United States, discussion sessions led by Professor Nahum Chandler of Tama University and Professor Yujin Yaguchi of Tokyo University, and a reception. Admission is free, but participants must pre-register, as space is limited.

• Detailed program information
• Pre-registration information