Kennedy In Japan

From USA Today: 
"Tokyo welcomes Caroline Kennedy as new ambassador"

Caroline Kennedy arrived in Japan on Friday to take up her position as U.S. ambassador, the first woman to serve in the post and one who is from a political family familiar to many here. "I am also proud to carry forward my father's legacy of public service," said the 55-year-old daughter of late President John F. Kennedy. "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 here. 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's so much mythology about that time, and she's the sole survivor. It's almost a passing of the torch." Nov. 22 marks the 50^th anniversary of JFK's assassination, adding poignancy to what the Japanese already view as a close bond with the Kennedy family. JFK was injured when his PT 109 was sunk by a Japanese destroyer during World War II. But he maintained a cordial correspondence with the ship's captain in later years, and had planned to be the first president to visit Japan in the post-war era. Indeed, an advance team from the White House was in Tokyo planning for the visit when Kennedy was killed in Dallas. In a video posted on the U.S. Embassy website this week, Kennedy embraced her family legacy. "This appointment has a special significance as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of my father's presidency," she said. "I would be humbled to carry forward his legacy in a small way and represent the powerful bonds that unite our two democratic societies."

^ Her appointment as ambassador brings another Kennedy into the political fold. It is odd that she didn't wait until after the 50th anniversary of her father's assassination to go to Japan. I am curious to see what she has to bring to US-Japan relations. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/11/15/japan-ambassador-caroline-kennedy/3574587/