Sayonara

He stayed at the Okura????? That's a bit downmarket for the POTUS. and surely they are such good friends it wouldn't be sayonara but Ja mata?

I am also wondering why Obama stayed at the Okura. Since he was a state guest, shouldn't he have stayed at the Akasaka State Guest House, or failing that, the U.S. Embassy. The Secret Service must have been all over the Okura which really has lost a lot of its luster in recent years.

By the way, Obama seems to have spent more time with the emperor and empress than he did with Abe.

Actually many world leaders have stayed at the Okura Hotel. It's location is close to the Embassy and past US President's including Obama have stayed there in the past.

http://www.hotelokura.co.jp/tokyo/en/special/50th_anniversary/history4.html

The US government denied the idea for POTUS to stay at Akasaka. In fact it was the US who proposed POTUS stayed in Okura Hotel (which by the way is a cross the US Embassy).

Since POTUS was invited as a State Guest, the host are the Imperial Family and not the Prime Minister, so it is only natural that POTUS spend more time with the Emperor.

Staying at the official guest house is probably a pain in the arse in regards to increased protocols, etc. Perhaps if his wife had been with him it might have been more of an option. Since The Okura is next to the embassy and the US Ambassador's residence, they've been working with the embassy since it was built (with a bit of a gap in the early '40's). It is a complete time slip going in there though - I instantly think of the Brady Bunch for some reason. Sometimes they have pretty reasonable rates and if someone is working in Kamiyacho for example, you can't beat the location. I've recommended it to some high-level clients and all of them were pleased enough since they weren't here to hang out in the hotel anyway.

It is very 1970's and dated. Agree close to Embassy. The picture looks a bit like Bilbo and Strider......

This is kinda weird.

Obama is not a company executive, manager, or a company worker, he is the president of the United States. You just don't take the president of the Unites States to a .... "restaurant" or let him stay at a ... "hotel" no matter how fancy they are.

Jiro should have prepared sushi for Obama at a state dinner, not in this "shop" in Roppongi. I understand that Japan is trying to promote the image of it's establishment, but these actions are kinda of no no.

I am pretty sure if the White House would have treated Abe to the same deal (restaurant and hotel) there would have been plenty of comments in Japan. I am surprised that the Obama team has accepted this arrangement.

The hotel is located near the United States Embassy in the Akasaka area, and has hosted every President of the United States since Richard Nixon, as well as numerous other foreign heads of state. The hotel has a 500-room annex which can be cut off from the rest of the building to serve as lodging for reporters and logistics aides, while using the penthouse " Imperial Suite " as high-security VIP lodging.

The hotel has also been the site of several major international summits and has also provided catering to international summits held off-site.[