He met students and faculty at the Nagoya University Global Campus, which is situated inside North Carolina State University’s grounds.

NC State said the visit on April 12 marked the first from any foreign head of government in almost 70 years.

Speaking about his decision to go to North Carolina during his trip, Kishida said he wanted to “show the Japan-US partnership extends beyond Washington”.

His visit to the “Tar Heel” State came after it was announced that $110m would be privately invested into corporate-university AI partnerships with two different US colleges.

Kishida openly discussed his strategic goals with the seven students from Japan who were at the Nagoya campus, according to the university.

Mentioning the aim to double study abroad participation to 500,000, he told the students about the promotion of an initiative to “promote study abroad for young people who will create the future”.

Kishida also said he would be enhancing support projects for domestic universities’ overseas expansion, something that had been hinted at in 2023, as well as “working to enhance financial support measures for international students”.

“This… will provide the area with opportunities to be engaged”

Despite the campus only opening in the last year, the two institutions have been partners for almost 40 years, NC State said, pointing to consistent student exchange and joint research initiatives.

One Japanese studies lecturer from UNC Greensboro told the local news channel in state capital Raleigh that the visit was a “surprise”, but could signal a positive future for Japan US relations and “bring more workers” from Japan into North Carolina.

“This… will provide the area with opportunities to be engaged in very active cultural exchange between Japan and the US,” said Chiaki Takagi.

During his visit to North Carolina, Kishida also met students from the NC State itself, as well as interacting with students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.

“This engagement showcased the value of cross-cultural dialogue and the potential for fostering a global mindset among the next generation of leaders,” noted an announcement from NC State.