IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Sake and Soul: White House State Dinner Was Like a 'Bromance'

President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe freestyled odes to each other.
Get more newsLiveon
/ Source: NBC News

The first White House state dinner in more than a year had plenty of sake, R&B soul improvisation and all the makings of a hilarious "bromance."

President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe freestyled odes to each other.

The poet-in-chief recited a haiku:

Spring green and friendshipThe United States and JapanNagoyaka ni

The last line means "harmonious feeling," Obama explained.

The Japanese Embassy was certainly feeling the harmonious vibe, too:

Prime Minister Abe, not to be outdone, told President Obama during his toast that U.S.-Japan ties were like the Diana Ross song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." (Actually, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell first recorded the hit.)

Through a translator, Abe declared: "Ain't no mountain high enough. Ain't no valley low enough. Ain't no river wide enough. To keep me from you."

"That's what the U.S.-Japan alliance is like," he said.

Abe also told the the gathering he loves "House of Cards", but doesn't want his deputy prime minister to watch the show. The joke went over well, at least according to Abe.

The love-fest continued through the night in a room festooned with pink accent lighting and floral arrangements of varied heights. The borders of the large mirrors were studded with pink blossoms.

And yes, they were drinking sake.

“Please enjoy yourself, but not too much,” Obama told guests.

Image: Japanese Prime Minister Abe and President Obama
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (second right) and his wife Akie Abe (left) pose with US President Barack Obama (right) and US First Lady Michelle Obama (second left) before a state dinner at the White House on April 28 in Washington, DC.BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP - Getty Images
— Kristin Donnelly and Halimah Abdullah