American royalty in Japan
In November 2013, Caroline Kennedy arrived in Tokyo to fulfill a historic role as the f irst female Amer ican ambas sador to Japan. It wa s a truly majestic sight with thousands of Japanese turning up on the streets of the capital to give Caroline — traveling by a horse- drawn carriage as she slowly made her way to the Imperial Palace — a very warm and royal welcome.
The Kennedy name of course is known all over the world because of the highly charismatic John
F. Kennedy whose short-lived term as Unit ed St ates President is still fondly recalled to this very day most especially in Japan as the “Camelot Era ,” with hi s young and beautiful First Lady
Jacquel ine, lit tle Caroline and John Jr. providing a mag ni f ic ent and glamorous mys t ique to the Kennedy White House. It was, as the lyr ics of the Broadway musical Camelot went, a “br ief shining moment” that will never be forgot ten.
Just before JFK’s tragic assassination in Dallas in November 1963, preparations were already underway for his visit to Japan, an event that was at the top of his agenda for 1964. In retrospect, Caroline’s appointment to the Land of the Rising Sun is the real izat ion of her father’s unfulfilled vision to become the f irst sitting US President to visit Japan. As a senior Japanese Cabinet spokesman remarked on the day of Caroline’s arrival, the “Japanese people feel closest to her father of all US presidents,” which also accounts for the very warm and royal welcome.
As the la s t su r vivi ng hei r of JFK, Ca rol ine carries all the admiration, the clout and the respect her famous name carries, which makes her perfect as Amer ica’s diplomat in Japan especially at a time when the US is embarking on its military and economic pivot to Asia.
In fact, our Philippine Amba ss a dor to Japa n Manol o
Lope z a nd his wi fe Maritess hosted a special recept ion at the Phi l ippine Emba s sy Residence i n Chiyod a- -ku last Christmas for Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, underscoring the special relat ions that have been forged between the Phi l ippines , Japan and the United St ates.