Secretary of State Hillary Clinton brought her diplomatic cavalcade to Honolulu, where on Tuesday she and Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada traded notes on South Pacific paradise. 
Clinton welcomed Okada to Hawaii, noting the state’s particularly close connection with one of its most famous sons, President Barack Obama — who recently spent his Christmas break nearby.
“He was born here. He grew up here. So we’re especially pleased to have this opportunity to be in Hawaii together,” she said at the start of their talks.
Clinton and Okada then turned their attention to an island further north — Japan’s Okinawa — where a simmering dispute over a U.S. military base has cast a shadow over the 50-year-old security relationship between the two countries.
Few are expecting any big breakthroughs in Hawaii, although plenty of promises of future cooperation are likely to be on the menu.
