TOKYO — Caroline Kennedy appointment as US ambassador in Japan has a special significance. Being direct descendent of one of the most charismatic presidents and first woman to serve in the post.
“I bring greetings from President Obama,” she said in after getting off the plane with her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, at Narita airport.
“I am also proud to carry forward my father’s legacy of public service,” she told to press. Describing her father’s sentiment towards Japan, she told, “He had hoped to be the first U.S. president to visit Japan. So it is a special honor for me to be able to work to strengthen the close ties between our two great countries.”
Kennedy’s appointment is being widely acclaimed in Tokyo. As the daughter of the late president and an early supporter of President Obama, her selection is seen as reassurance of the special relationship between the two countries.
“There is great excitement and anticipation here, especially among people who remember her father,” says Nancy Snow, a visiting professor of mass communications at Keio University, in Tokyo.
There will be the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination on Nov. 22. This will further signify the event.
By profession, Kennedy is a lawyer. A New York native, she has edited several books and has three children. Though lacking in direct diplomatic or political experience, she will bring star power to the Tokyo post that has been lacking in recent years.
“There’s been a deep fear in Japan about ‘Japan passing’ — that is, being ignored by the United States. So sending someone with such a big name reassures them,” says Robert Dujarric, director of the Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies at Temple University of Japan, in Tokyo.
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