Irene Hirano will step down next year as president of the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. But that's not her big news. She also become engaged to Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, who is number three in seniority in the Senate. They will be married May 24 in Los Angeles. Here's how the Honolulu Advertiser handled the delicate question that was bound to come up.
Inouye, 83, was widowed in March 2006 when his wife, Margaret "Maggie" Shinobu Awamura Inouye, passed away from complications of colon cancer. They had been married nearly 57 years and have a son, Daniel Ken Inouye Jr.[skip]
Hirano, who is about 60 years old, has bachelor's and master's degrees in public administration from the University of Southern California.
The museum has named Akemi Kikumura Yano as CEO effective February 1, 2008. Hirano will stay through June 2009.