What happens in the Asia Pacific matters to the rest of the world now more than ever before. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shares his vision of an ever-stronger partnership with the region. What Pacific issues matter most to you and why?

This video was produced by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs in April 2013. It features Secretary of State John Kerry during a speech he gave in Tokyo on April 15, 2013.

In Tokyo, Secretary Kerry Addresses 21st Century Pacific Partnership

About the Author: Karen Kelley serves as Information Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

On Sunday, April 14, Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Tokyo to begin his first visitto Japan as Secretary of State, following stops in Beijing and Seoul, and, earlier, London and the Middle East. En route to downtown Tokyo, the Secretary’s motorcade made a brief stop at historic Zojoji Temple. Founded in 1393, Zojoji served as the Tokugawa Shogun’s family temple during Japan’s Edo period.… more »

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks on a 21st Century Pacific Partnership at Tokyo Tech University on Tokyo, Japan on April 14, 2013. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/04/207487.htm.

Richard Buangan serves as Director of Digital Engagement at the U.S. Department of State.

Followers of @StateDept watched the State Department’s Twitter account surpass 500,000 followers this week, and also saw Secretary of State John Kerry wage a friendly bet with his Canadian counterpart, Foreign Minister John Baird, on whether the U.S. women’s team would beat Canada’s team in the women’s world hockey championship. The U.S. team won the game, and Foreign Minister Baird made good on the bet, offering Secretary Kerry a case of Canadian beer during the G-8 Foreign Ministers Meeting in London.

Secretary Kerry departed London today for East Asia, where he will visit the Republic of Korea, followed by travel to China and Japan. And, during his travel, you’ll discover more reasons to follow our websites and social media properties. First, we are pleased to announce our new U.S. Department of State Live webpage, where you’ll be able to watch the State Department’s daily press briefings, major speeches by the Secretary of State, and more. Tune in on Sunday, April 14 at approximately 8:30 p.m. EDT, when Secretary Kerry delivers remarks on U.S. engagement in the Asian-Pacific region. Our@StateDeptLive account will be tweeting the Secretary’s remarks live, and we’ll be releasing the latest photographs from his trip on Facebook, Flickr, and Tumblr.

You can also follow @StateDept and @eAsiaMediaHub for more details on the Secretary’s travel and go to the websites of our embassies in the Republic of Korea,China, and Japan for more on U.S. diplomacy in the region.

About the Author: Susan Stevenson serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs.

An enduring legacy can start with a single idea.

Each year in Washington D.C., the arrival of spring is celebrated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Did you know that the festival marks a gift of trees from the people of Japan? The blooms signify not only the changing season, but also the long-lasting friendship between the United States and Japan. On March 23, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington celebrates Japanese Culture Day, and we honor this special bilateral relationship.

Over one hundred years ago, Japan sent the United States a gift of 3,000 cherry trees. The first tree was planted along Washington, D.C.’s tidal basin, joined by hundreds of others to bloom into an annual rite of spring.… more »

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on February 22, 2013. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on January 18, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt M. Campbell and National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Daniel Russel participate in a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo, Japan, January 17, 2013. [State Department photo by William Ng/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Kris M. Balderston serves as the Special Representative for Global Partnerships within the Office of the Secretary of State.

We can achieve more together than we can alone.

That simple statement underscored the premise of the first Global Partnerships Week, which we marked December 9-15, 2012. I saw the power of partnerships firsthand in Dubai, where I participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and our Partners for a New Beginning initiative, while our embassies and missions around the world, from Japan to Brazil, spotlighted the value of partnering with the private sector.

Through educational and media events, competitions, and challenges, we’ve seen the State Department recognize the importance of collaborating with the private sector. In Honduras, for example, the Embassy launched a partnership with a local telecommunications company to provide Internet, cable, and phone access at youth outreach centers. In Haiti, Ambassador Pamela White hosted a reception for businesses… more »

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell delivers remarks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 13, 2012. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2012/12/201682.htm.