Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) paid tribute to former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe following his assassination on July 8.
An immigrant who was born in Japan, Hirono was the first Asian and Japanese-American woman to serve in the United States Senate, according to a press release from the senator's office. She was honored with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star by the Japanese government in November 2021. She received the medal in recognition of her work to strengthen bilateral relations and promote legislative cooperation between the United States and Japan.
"I am shocked and deeply saddened by the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe," Hirono said in the press release. "Prime Minister Abe was a transformational figure in Japan who dedicated his life in service of his country. A friend to the United States, Prime Minister Abe fought for the Japanese people and strengthened the relationship between our two countries."
Throughout her time in the Senate, Hirono met with Abe on several occasions, the press release noted. Most recently, she spoke to him during a congressional delegation trip to Japan in 2017. She joined Abe and President Barack Obama for a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 2016. Hirono served on the Escort Committee for Abe's address to a joint session of Congress in 2015. She met with Abe during a congressional delegation to Japan and a number of Asia-Pacific nations in 2013.
"During our most recent meeting, we discussed a number of topics, including the importance of the trilateral alliance of the United States, Japan, and South Korea," Hirono said about Abe. "This senseless murder was a barbaric act — and one that I condemn in the strongest terms possible."