    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [April 17, 1996]
    [Pages 594-595]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Dinner Hosted by Emperor Akihito in Tokyo, Japan
    April 17, 1996

        Your Imperial Majesties, Prime Minister and Mrs. Hashimoto,
    distinguished guests. I want to thank you for your extraordinary
    hospitality to Hillary and to me and to all of our delegation.
        Your Majesties, when we met 2 years ago, you visited our Nation and
    charmed all of America. As you crossed the United States you reminded
    all Americans of the character and dignity that distinguished the
    Japanese people and their rich culture. Tonight you have honored us
    again with your hospitality, much as you honored our Nation with your
    presence. You have received us with the exceptional grace and elegance
    for which Japan is renowned throughout the world.
        More than 1,200 years ago, one of your great poets, Ootomo No
    Yakamochi, wrote of an ``imperial setting wonderful, in its spaciousness
    so superb, so vast. Seeing it, I know why the rulers have dwelt here
    since the age of the gods.'' We, too, have been greeted in a setting
    that is so superb and that speaks of a tradition of graciousness toward
    friends that reaches back to antiquity.
        Let me also thank the Japanese people. The welcome we have received
    in Tokyo, for the second time in my Presidency, speaks eloquently about
    the friendship between our peoples. You have made us all feel very much
    at home.
        In a relationship as vast and complex as ours, one that has been
    analyzed by so many in so many different ways, no number or statistic
    can begin to capture the value of this friendship to both our nations.
    History is filled with changing alliances between states. But history
    offers very few examples of two peoples who have forged such a powerful
    relationship in the short period of half a century. We have indeed
    traveled far together. We have been able to cover such distance because
    we are joined by universal values and seek the same ends: freedom for
    all our citizens, the blessings of peace and prosperity that enables
    Japanese and Americans to make the most of their own lives.
        Working side by side, we have created in modern times a great
    democratic tradition, one of unity and cooperation in the service of our
    people's highest aspirations. In only these five decades, we have reaped
    enormous benefits, building the two largest economies in the world and
    creating a tremendous force for security and stability during an era of
    constant change and frequent upheaval. Today we carried forward that
    tradition. We revitalized the alliance

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    that has provided such crucial stability in Asia. We continue the hard
    work on economic issues that will open opportunities for the future, and
    we've moved ahead with our common efforts to address the new problems we
    face around the world.
        We have achieved much. For the new century that lies before us, if
    we maintain our resolve, we can accomplish much more.
        Ladies and gentlemen, let us raise a glass to the health of the
    Majesties and the friendship between the peoples of the United States
    and Japan, which has become such an extraordinary force for progress and
    hope at the dawn of this new age of possibility.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:30 p.m. in the Imperial Palace. In his
    remarks, he referred to Empress Michiko and Kumiko Hashimoto, wife of
    Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto. A tape was not available for
    verification of the content of these remarks.