Yuko Kishida

The native form of this personal name is Kishida Yuko. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Yuko Kishida
岸田裕子
Kishida in 2023
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Japan
In role
4 October 2021 – 1 October 2024
MonarchNaruhito
Prime MinisterFumio Kishida
Preceded byMariko Suga
Succeeded byYoshiko Ishiba
Personal details
Born
Yuko Wada (和田裕子)

(1964-08-15) 15 August 1964 (age 60)
Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Japan
Spouse
​
(m. 1988)​
Children3 (three sons)
Alma materTokyo Women's Christian University (BA)

Yuko Kishida (岸田 裕子, Kishida Yūko; née Wada; born 15 August 1964) is the wife of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida.[1][2]

Biography

Yuko and Fumio Kishida with U.S. President Joe Biden (May 2022).

Kishida was born in Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, as the eldest daughter of Kunijirō Wada, a real estate company owner.

She attended Hiroshima Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School, an integrated junior and senior high school.[3] After graduating from high school, she attended Tokyo Women's Christian University to study Japanese literature. She joined Mazda to work as secretary of vice president Yoshihiro Wada in 1987 after graduating from TWCU. She married Fumio Kishida in 1988 and has three sons with him.

On 4 October 2021, she became the First Lady of Japan because her husband became the 100th Prime Minister of Japan after winning the 2021 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election.[4]

Solo visit to the United States

On 17 April 2023, Yuko Kishida traveled solo to the United States at the invitation of the First Lady, Jill Biden, making her the first spouse of a Japanese Prime Minister to have made a solo visit to the United States.[5][6][7]

During her visit, Kishida and Jill Biden planted a cherry blossom tree within the White House grounds as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the United States and Japan. Before the planting ceremony, Jill Biden gave Kishida a tour of the White House, including the Oval Office, where she had the opportunity to briefly converse with U.S. President Joe Biden.[5][8]

Kishida also visited Howard University, a distinguished historically Black university in Washington, D.C. There, she engaged with students who were studying Japanese.[5]

References

  1. ^ NEWS, KYODO. "Japan's new PM, wife maintain closeness despite long distance". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  2. ^ "G7広島外相会合配偶者プログラム（第1日目）". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  3. ^ "岸田裕子", Wikipedia (in Japanese), 2021-10-05, retrieved 2021-10-05
  4. ^ "Fumio Kishida confirmed as Japan's new Prime Minister", CNN Video, 2021-10-04, retrieved 2021-10-05
  5. ^ a b c "Japan and U.S. first ladies plant cherry tree at White House during rare solo trip". The Japan Times. 18 April 2023.
  6. ^ Feitelberg, Rosemary (17 April 2023). "Jill Biden Meets With Japan's First Lady Yuko Kishida". WWD.
  7. ^ "Japanese First Lady Yuko Kishida Makes Solo Visit To White House". The Pavlovic Today. 17 April 2023.
  8. ^ "US, Japan plant White House cherry tree to mark friendship". AP NEWS. 17 April 2023.
Unofficial roles
Preceded by Spouse of the Prime Minister of Japan
2021–2024 		Succeeded by
Japan

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