Irene Hirano

Hirano in c. 2009

Irene Hirano Inouye (née Yasutake; October 7, 1948 – April 7, 2020) was an American business executive. She was a sansei, or a third-generation Japanese-American and also a sensei. She was the founding president of the U.S.-Japan Council from 2009 until her death in 2020. She also served as president and founding chief executive officer of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California from 1988 to 2008.

Hirano was born in Los Angeles. She married Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye in 2008. The couple were together until Inouye's death in 2012. Hirano died of leiomyosarcoma on April 7, 2020, in Los Angeles. She was 71.