Obama To Nominate Caroline Kennedy As Ambassador To Japan

Caroline Kennedy could become the next ambassador to Japan. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that President Barack Obama plans to nominate her to the post.

Kennedy is the only surviving child of former President John F. Kennedy. If confirmed, the 55-year-old will be the first woman to hold that post. She would replace John Roos, the current ambassador to Japan, who took office in 2009.

The New York-born Kennedy endorsed Obama in 2008 and served as co-chair for his vice presidential search committee. She is an author and a lawyer, and a graduate of Harvard and Columbia -- all characteristics she shares with the president.

The U.S. is Japan’s largest trade partner. America also has a large military presence on the island of Okinawa from where, according to the terms of a controversial, not yet fully implemented 2006 agreement, the U.S. is to move approximately 8,000 marines stationed there to Guam.

“The Kennedys have a very important role in the history of the U.S.-Japan relationship, and Caroline Kennedy would continue this legacy at a critical time in our countries’ relations and East Asian geopolitics,” said Jennifer Lind, an associate professor at Dartmouth who follows U.S.-Japan relations and East Asian international security.