Caroline Kennedy in Tokyo "Democracies cannot function without a strong relationship between a free and independent press, and a transparent and accountable government."

 U.S. ambassador in Japan Caroline Kennedy

I went today to the press event at JNPC in Tokyo to listen to the U.S. ambassador in Japan Caroline Kennedy: "Democracies cannot function without a strong relationship between a free and independent press, and a transparent and accountable government" said the daughter of John Kennedy. She reassured Japanese through the media that the U.S. and Japan share the same priorities when it comes to dealing with these problems. The U.S. Ambassador added that the two countries, Japan and the U.S. will work together even more closely in 2016. Kennedy was speaking at the Japan National Press Club, a little more than two years after first taking up the post.

"America is grateful to the people of Okinawa for their support and is working hard to reduce the impact of its military bases on the island", she said. She also expressed her confidence that the U.S. Congress would ratify the TPP pact with the 12 nations of the Pacific. She also signed the golden book of the Japanese press club in mentioning the importance of the freedom of the press. All smiled and immediately thought about Japanese prime minister's team criticisms about Japanese and foreign journalists working in Japan.

She was fragile and committed, she trained for this exercice. "She had to rehearse" one American media journalist told me. It is said that she does not like the exercice of public communication so much. I found her convincing less for Okinawa and the future of our security but for her words for women at work and for families, for children to raise and for the responsibility of education.

She also talked about various education initiatives between Japan and the US, she also quoted "Operation Tomodachi" that her predecessor handled in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident and the tsunami of March 2011. I hope she will come to the Fccj as a guest speaker sometimes soon around the G7-2016 preparations. People were impressed after she left the room under the applause of the audience. Good work!

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