Kennedy arrives in Tokyo
(TOKYO) — Caroline Kennedy arrived in Japan today to take up her position as U.S. ambassador with one important strength: She has the ear of the American president.
Japan hopes the 55-year-old daughter of late President John F. Kennedy will work closely with President Barack Obama to tackle some urgent U.S.-Japan matters, analysts said.
“What’s important here is her strong pipeline with Obama and an ability to be able to pick up the phone and speak with Obama directly in the middle of the night for consultation on urgent matters,” said Ryuichi Teshima, professor of diplomacy at Keio University in Tokyo.
Kennedy’s close ties to Obama come from playing a pivotal role during the Democratic presidential primaries in 2008 by endorsing him when Hillary Clinton was the lead candidate.
As the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan, Kennedy may also be a role model in a country that traditionally has restricted the role of women, said Toshihiro Nakayama, professor of international politics at Aoyama Gakuin University.
U.S.-Japan relations are generally on an even keel, but Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are not as close as some would like. “The chemistry is off, possibly because Obama does not support the right-wing views Abe holds,” Teshima said.
