Everybody Likes Her

As long as assignment is based on agrément, each ambassador has to be welcomed by the host nation. However, the Japanese way to welcome new U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Carline Kennedy, is something extreme or strange. People, media and government have been approving her every step and word. Wait a minute. She has done only a few jobs, since she arrived in Japan. To an interview to a newspaper, she said nothing interesting, commenting along the line of official standpoint of U.S. Calm down, you guys, let’s see what she is doing.

When she arrived in Japan in November 15^th, most newspapers carried her picture on the front page. It was reported that she wanted to carry the legacy of her father, John F. Kennedy, as her first comment in Japan to the press corps waiting her in Narita International Airport. The readers of those reports might understand that her assignment as the ambassador would be doing what her father had wanted to do for Japan.

Her popularity in Japan is simply based on a reason: because they believe she is popular in U.S., too. The Japanese like well-known Americans. If the Ambassador to Japan were Angelina Jolie, Lady Gaga, or even Hillary Clinton, they are going to be satisfied. Ability as a diplomat does not matter. If she or he is a common figure to American public, it’s all right.

Another reason why she is on the spotlight is that this is the 50^th anniversary of her father’s death. It is important that JFK was one of the most popular Presidents of the United States for the Japanese to like Caroline. Regardless conspiracy argument over the assassination of President Kennedy, Caroline is still a tragically lovely daughter who lost her father. Although Park Geun-hye, President of South Korea, has similar history, she is not so popular as Caroline in Japan for some reason.

Among news organization that submitted a bunch of interview requests to U.S. Embassy in Japan, the winner was Yomiuri Shimbun. It published the first interview to her at Ambassador’s residence last Friday. “There is no more important ally than Japan,” was the headline of the article, which was a quotation of her comment. Not funny, anyway.

But the answer she made was strictly following the official standpoints of U.S. government. On relocation of Futenma Marine Air Base, she told that moving to Henoko was the best choice. On reinterpretation of the Constitution of Japan to exercise collective self-defense right, she said that it was up to the Japanese. On economic policy of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, she expressed U.S. expectation on contributing to the interest in Asia Pacific and the world.

Common expectation of the Japanese to her, for example, is to ease war victims by persuading Obama to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which may bring strong opposition from the Capitol Hill. How to deal with growing assertion of China in the East China Sea may become a litmus test for U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Her job will not be so easy.