Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
I deeply appreciate the warm sentiment for the United States expressed in your personal letter to me which foreign Minister Kosaka handed to Secretary Herter.
The American people share with the vast majority of Japanese the earnest wish for lasting American-Japanese friendship. Let me assure you that the American people fully understand the circumstances which led to the request by your government to postpone my visit to Japan. I share the regret, which you were kind enough to express, that the planned visit could not be carried out at that moment. But I assure you that the ties that link Japan and the United States are much too strong to be impaired by such momentary developments.
Rather than dwelling unnecessarily on events of the past, I would prefer to stress my great confidence in the future of relations between our two countries. The partnership existing between Japan and the United States today is built on a solid foundation of common interest, mutual confidence, and mutual trust. I am certain that we can look forward with assurance to even closer ties between our two countries in the coming years. I trust, too, that at some future time I may have an opportunity to accept your cordial invitation.
Sincerely,
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Note: Prime Minister Ikeda's letter follows:
My dear Mr. President:
It affords me the greatest of pleasure to send this personal letter to you by our Minister for foreign Affairs, Mr. Kosaka, who is visiting Washington to have a frank exchange of views on matters of mutual interest with your Secretary of State, Mr. Herter, and other leaders of your country, prior to attending the 15th General Assembly of the United Nations.
I wish to express my profound regrets that the Japanese Government was compelled to ask you to postpone your visit to our shores in June and, at the same time, my deep gratitude for the sympathetic understanding shown by you, Mr. President, and by the American people, of the most unfortunate circumstances. I also wish to convey to you the deep feeling of friendship which the overwhelming majority of the Japanese people entertain toward you and the American people and our hopes that we shall be able to welcome you to our country in the near future.
It is our affirmed policy to maintain and to develop the broad basis of cooperation and partnership between our two countries which have the common aim of a peace based on freedom and justice and the betterment of human welfare. I am firmly resolved to adhere to this basic policy and sincerely hope that the mutual understanding between our two peoples will be further strengthened and that our relations of goodwill and friendship will be further promoted.
Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to you for extending a cordial invitation to Their Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to visit your country. I am confident that their forthcoming visit to your country in this auspicious year which marks the centennial of Japan-United States relations will serve immeasurably toward further cementing the ties of friendship between our two peoples.
With kindest personal regards and best wishes for your continued good health,
Sincerely yours,
HAYATO IKEDA
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Exchange of Letters Between the President and Prime Minister Ikeda of Japan. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/235349