New Ambassador Kennedy: Hope for Fresh Air in US-Japan Relations

The new ambassador to Japan from the United States, Caroline Kennedy, took up her post a couple of days ago. On Oct. 19, she will present the emperor with her credentials and formally begin her duties as the first female ambassador to Japan from the U.S.

Ms. Kennedy’s father is former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated 50 years ago. While Ms. Kennedy has no diplomatic experience, she maintains many valuable connections and a high degree of familiarity as the oldest daughter of the still-popular former president. It is my hope that she will breathe new life into U.S.-Japan relations.

Until recently, ambassadors from the U.S. have been experienced politicians and former members of high office: vice presidents, speakers of the house, senate majority leaders and the like. However, recent appointees have been personally close with the sitting president, as with both John Roos and Tim Schieffer. Caroline Kennedy is no different. During the 2008 presidential election, Ms. Kennedy declared her support for then-Senator Obama and joined in nominating him as the Democratic Party’s candidate. She also contributed to President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. That she has such a close relationship with the president no doubt contributes to her being “someone who can get the president on the phone quickly.”*

But that doesn’t mean that as ambassador, the road ahead will necessarily be smooth for her. The issue of relocating the American base in Futenma (in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, North Korea’s nuclear development — these are all difficult problems that stand in her way. Japan-China tensions surrounding the issue of the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa also remain a serious issue.

Even so, my biggest hope for the new ambassador stems from Ms. Kennedy’s close connection to the president. As Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said of her appointment, “We will be able to relay our positions and ideas directly to the president and other officials,” indicating the government’s hope that the new ambassador could become a pipeline directly to the U.S. president. In the U.S., where there is no royalty, the Kennedys remain distinguished to the extent that they are known as “America’s royal family.” With such prestige, Ms. Kennedy will no doubt have the ability to make herself heard back home, and that is reassuring to Japan.

After Ms. Kennedy was named ambassador to Japan, she threw herself into studying Japan and U.S.-Japan relations and showed a desire to strengthen those relations at her senate confirmation hearing in September, stating, “Japan is my mission.”** I hope that she works vigorously toward smooth solutions to the many problems that lie heaped between Japan and the U.S.

At her confirmation hearing, Ms. Kennedy touched on her visit to Hiroshima 35 years ago, indicating that she was “deeply affected.”*** She was very emotional regarding the issue of reducing nuclear weapons, an issue that remains among the most difficult for U.S.-Japan relations. With former Ambassador Roos being the first to officially attend the peace ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a change in the attitude of the U.S. government is visible. I hope that Ms. Kennedy will also visit the sites of the atomic bombings and that she will recommend to President Obama that he do so as well.

*Editor’s Note: The original quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified. However, a similar statement is quoted by The New York Times.

**Editor’s Note: The original quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified. However, text that Japan Times presented as a transcript of Ms. Kennedy’s confirmation hearings implies that she referred to “this mission.”

***Editor’s Note: The translator was unable to find original English text that matched the apparent quote here in the Japanese article exactly. However, the text that he believes is the most likely original English text is presented here within quote marks.