Caroline Kennedy is expected to be named the next U.S. ambassador to Japan after being greeted "gently" by both parties in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing which lasted an hour and 20 minutes on Thursday, the Christian Science Monitor reported.
As President Obama's nomination to serve as ambassador, her "deep commitment to public service" was a trait she inherited from her father famous father, John F. Kennedy, who was assasinated 50 years ago this coming November.
"I am conscious of my responsibility to uphold the ideals he represented- a deep commitment to public service, a more just America, and a more peaceful world," alluding to her father.
"As a World War II veteran who served in the Pacific, he had hoped to be the first sitting president to make a state visit to Japan. If confirmed as ambassador, I would be humbled to carry forward his legacy in a small way and represent the powerful bonds that unite our two democratic societies," she continued.
If confirmed, Kennedy would be the first woman to hold the Japanese ambassadorship, replacing John Roos, an Obama fundraiser and Silicon Valley attorney.
Kennedy, an attorney, author and philanthropist, had been early backer of Obama's fight for the democratic nomination against Hillary Clinton in 2008.
"Her passion to do right and do good burns so strongly within her," Senator Chuck Schumer said.
Kennedy said that she first visited Japan in 1978 with her uncle, the late Ted Kennedy. She told the committe was "deeply affected by our visit to Hirohima," the site where US planes dropped an atom bomb, which ended World War II.
While critics have argued she has little to no foreign experience, the nominee said "can think of no country which I would rather serve than Japan... an indispensable partner in promoting democracy and economic development. These are areas I care deeply about and, if confirmed, I will work to further strengthen this critical partnership at a vital moment in its history."
Kennedy previewed her pending tenure, emphasizing that she would highlight women's rights in Japan, a country that reportedly ranks lower than most development on gender equality, AFP reported.
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