USS CHAFEE (DDG 90) visited the Port of Osaka for the first time, aiming at promoting friendship and goodwill. Chafee approaching the berth.

Welcome ceremony was held on the berth. Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama, Member of the House of Representatives and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, shaking hands with the ship's officers. Consul General Russel standing alongside.

Commander Heedong Choi and staff paying courtesy call on Mayor Kunio Hiramatsu of Osaka City.

Consul General Daniel Russel spoke to students at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. His lecture on "Diplomacy and US-Japan Relations" discussed the importance of US-Japan relations.

Governor Toru Hashimoto of Osaka Prefecture hosted a discussion session with the Consular Corps in Osaka. Consul General Russel shaking hands with the Governor (center) before the session begins at the Official Residence of the Governor.

Consul General Russel (right) delivering his presentation on "Waterfront development and tourism," using the City of San Antonio as an example. Governor Hashimoto (far left) listening attentively.

The occasion attracted intense media coverage.

U.S. Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer delivered remarks on "The United States and Japan in a Globalized Economy" at the Yomiuri International Economic Society in Osaka. He noted, "For much of Japanese history, Osaka and the greater Kansai region have been at the center of the Japanese economy."