海角大神

Caroline Kennedy arrived in Tokyo Friday to take up her official duties as US ambassador, captivating the Japanese people and reassuring the Japanese government of Japan鈥檚 enduring importance to the United States.

After a glittery sendoff from Washington steeped in Kennedy lore 鈥� Secretary of State John Kerry recalled first meeting President Kennedy鈥檚 daughter when she was four years old and about to take a ride on Macaroni, her pony who roamed the White House grounds when the Kennedys resided there 鈥� Ambassador Kennedy touched down in a Japan well-prepared for its famous new American envoy.

In October, Japanese television carried Kennedy鈥檚 confirmation hearings live, and this week national broadcaster NHK has been running a series of specials on the Kennedy family.

Some Japanese, especially older generations, feel a special attachment to the Kennedys. A young John F. Kennedy was injured in World War II when the torpedo boat he commanded, PT 109, was sunk by a Japanese destroyer. But as president, Mr. Kennedy gave special focus to Japan and was planning to be the first sitting American president to visit the enemy-turned-ally when he was assassinated.

The surviving member of the Kennedy presidential family highlighted this historical link when she landed in Tokyo, noting that because of her father鈥檚 plans in particular 鈥渋t is a special honor for me to be able to work to strengthen the close ties between our two great countries.鈥�

Kennedy, who is expected to present her credentials to Emperor Akihito on Nov. 19, noted that her arrival coincides with 鈥渢he 50th anniversary of my father鈥檚 presidency.鈥� Nov. 22 marks a half-century since President Kennedy鈥檚 assassination.

Ambassador Kennedy probably had the Japanese from the moment she opened an introductory video posted on the US Embassy website last week with the famous Kennedy smile and a simple, 鈥淗i, I am Caroline Kennedy.鈥�

But the arrival of a Kennedy 鈥� and one close to President Obama to boot 鈥� as Washington鈥檚 envoy is reassuring Japan that the glory days of the past, when US ambassadors carried prominent and powerful names like Mansfield and Mondale, are back.

Japanese officials have worried in recent years, as Washington has focused increasingly on getting relations right with China, that their country was losing out to other rising Asian powers. At the same time, America鈥檚 star had fallen in the eyes of the Japanese people, especially over the presence of 50,000 American troops in the country.

Obama鈥檚 鈥淎sia pivot鈥� and the administration鈥檚 close coordination with Tokyo over issues ranging from China鈥檚 territorial aggressiveness and North Korea have reassured the Japanese government, however.

And then substantial and sustained US assistance to Japan in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan and the related Fukushima nuclear disaster appears to have put the shine back on Japanese perceptions of America, with some recent surveys putting public opinion of the US-Japan alliance at historic highs.

Kennedy, the first female US ambassador to Japan, also arrives as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is focusing on efforts to elevate the stature of Japanese women as part of an over-all campaign to reinvigorate the Japanese economy.

Japan鈥檚 ambassador to the US, Kenichiro Sasae, made special note of this at a send-off reception for Kennedy at his Washington residence Wednesday, saying, 鈥淭he arrival of the first woman ambassador is absolutely great for my country鈥� and is 鈥渟o timely as Prime Minister Abe seeks to increase the economic and leadership roles of Japanese women.鈥�

In her embassy website video, Kennedy introduces herself to Japan as 鈥渁n author, educator, and attorney,鈥� but it is probably the accompanying 鈥渇amily鈥� photos 颅鈥� of President Kennedy meeting with Japanese officials, of Ambassador Kennedy on previous trips to Japan 鈥� that speak most poignantly to the Japanese people. Kennedy visited Hiroshima with her uncle, the late Sen. Edward 鈥淭ed鈥� Kennedy, in 1978, and spent part of her honeymoon (with husband Edwin Schlossberg) in Kyoto in 1986.

As Secretary Kerry explained to Ambassador Sasae as they joined in sending Kennedy off to her news duties, 鈥淚n many ways she鈥檚 been an ambassador all her life.鈥�

[Editor's note: The original story incorrectly identified the current emperor of Japan]