Shaheen Welcomes Japanese Ambassador to New Hampshire to Celebrate the 119th Anniversary of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Signing, Hosts Roundtable with New Hampshire Businesses to Build Connections and Future Partnerships
(Portsmouth, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and a senior member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shigeo Yamada to New Hampshire for the annual ceremonial bell ringing recognizing the 119th anniversary of the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. Shaheen and Ambassador Yamada were joined by the Japan-America Society of New Hampshire, local leaders and community members for the bell ringing in Portsmouth’s Market Square. Shaheen also hosted a roundtable discussion with Ambassador Yamada and Granite State defense industry leaders to continue to create economic opportunities and strengthen partnerships between our two nations. Photos from today’s events can be found here.
“I’m delighted Japanese Ambassador Shigeo Yamada visited New Hampshire to attend this year’s bell ringing ceremony in Portsmouth to mark the 119th anniversary of the end of the Russo-Japanese War and met with some of our state’s defense industry leaders,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. “This visit marked an important opportunity to underscore the strength of the U.S.-Japan relationship and celebrate the robust trade ties between Granite State businesses and Japan.”
The signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty took place at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which Shaheen and Ambassador Yamada visited earlier in the day, and ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. The annual ceremonial bell ringing celebrates this history and the role of citizen diplomacy in ensuring the success of the peace conference that ended the war.
Earlier in the day, Shaheen hosted Ambassador Yamada and small and large Granite State businesses with trade ties to Japan for a roundtable discussion. At the roundtable, Shaheen discussed ways in which to expand trade and economic opportunities between New Hampshire businesses and Japan. In 2023, Japan was New Hampshire’s 7th largest export market for goods.
Earlier in the year, Shaheen traveled to Japan during a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific. The Senator met with foreign government officials and U.S. military leadership to discuss U.S. security goals and opportunities for expanded trade and economic partnership. Shaheen also highlighted the work the New Hampshire National Guard is doing to develop a training syllabus for Japan following its recent acquisition of the KC-46 refueling tanker.
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