16 Nov 2013

Ambassador Kennedy arrives in Japan

7:54 am on 16 November 2013

Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of US president John F. Kennedy, arrived in Tokyo on Friday to take up the post of US ambassador to Japan.

"Hajime-mashite ('Nice to meet you')," Ms Kennedy, 55, told reporters in Japanese at Narita airport on arrival accompanied by her husband, Edwin Schlossberg.

"It is a special honour for me to be able to work to strengthen the close ties between our two great countries ... Our alliance is critical to a prosperous and peaceful world," she added in a brief speech.

Ms Kennedy is the first female US ambassador to Japan. She was an early backer of Barack Obama against Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary season in 2008.

She will present her credentials to Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace next week.

Next week also marks the 50th anniversary of her father's assassination in Dallas.