U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye has gotten engaged.

The Hawai'i Democrat announced in a statement yesterday that he is engaged to Irene Hirano, the president and chief executive officer of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

The couple has set a May 24 wedding date for a private ceremony with immediate family at a church in Los Angeles.

"Irene is an extraordinary woman of grace, intelligence and accomplishment," Inouye said in a statement. "She is a rare gem in our society. Without question, I am a very fortunate and lucky man."

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.

Prominent local attorney Jeff Watanabe, whose association with Inouye dates back four decades, said he was "delighted by the news" of the engagement.

Watanabe said he was "fortunate" to have worked for Inouye's office in Washington, D.C., back in the late 1960s while attending Georgetown Law School. He said he and his firm have represented Inouye's political campaign over the years, adding "once you work for a senator, you always work for a senator."

"We're very delighted and I'm very happy for his family," said Watanabe.

Hirano has led the museum since 1988. She also leads the affiliated National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, which promotes civic education. She is also the chair of the American Association of Museums.

Hirano, who is about 60 years old, has bachelor's and master's degrees in public administration from the University of Southern California. She has worked for three decades in nonprofit administration, community education and public affairs.

Many in Hawai'i have contributed financially to the Japanese American National Museum, where exhibits on Hawai'i have played prominently over the years. Those exhibits have included "Immigration: Japanese pioneers in Hawaii," "Issei Pioneers: Hawaii and the Mainland," and "From Bento to Mixed Plate: Americans of Japanese Ancestry in Multicultural Hawaii."