Ambassador Caroline Kennedy
Hotel Okura, Tokyo
http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20131127-01.html
Ambassador Caroline Kennedy Addresses ACCJ and the
America-Japan Society
AMBASSADOR KENNEDY: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you
all for coming - I know everybody here is very busy, so I'm very honored that
you all chose to come today. And thank you, Ambassador Fujisaki, for the
beautiful flowers you sent me on my arrival and for all you've done over the
years to benefit the people of Japan
and the United States.
Thank you to the ACCJ and the America-Japan Society for
inviting me here to speak and learn from all of you, and mostly thank you for
the warm welcome and the birthday wishes. I have never had a party this big.
I would like to introduce my husband Ed Schlossberg who is
here with me, as well as my colleagues from the Embassy. My Deputy Chief of
Mission Kurt Tong I'm sure many of you know well and his wife Mika. Public
Affairs Minister-Counselor Mark Davidson and his wife Kuniko. Also here are my
Chief of Staff Debra DeShong Reed, Political Minister-Counselor Donna Welton,
and Economic Minister-Counselor Jessica Webster among others from my team.
Maybe you guys could just stand up briefly? John Nylin is here - stand up.
This lunch is just the latest in a series of events over the
past week - each of which has really been incredible in its own right, but also
symbolic of the larger U.S.-Japan relationship as well.
I'm honored that President Obama asked me to serve as his
Ambassador to Japan.
It couldn't be a more important moment as the United
States rebalances to Asia.
Relations are at an all-time high; we are making real progress in key areas of
our alliance; and the partnership is truly a global one. Just before I left
home, this message was emphasized in meetings with the President, the Vice
President, Secretary Kerry, Secretary Hagel and National Security Advisor Rice.
As everyone in this room knows well, Japan
is our most important ally in the region, and Japan
has no truer friend than America.
We are bound by a common history and common values. Our
countries have overcome a difficult past to embrace a promising future. There
are deep and profound economic, strategic, and cultural ties, and our societies
share a commitment to freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Japan and
America
are partners in diplomatic and humanitarian efforts around the globe. We're
working together to solve the difficult challenges in the Middle East, and most
recently Japan's Self Defense Forces and American military jointly delivered
food, water and medical supplies to thousands of people in the Philippines
whose communities were devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.
Over the course of the past week, I have seen the same
spirit of trust and commitment made visible in less dramatic but equally
profound ways.
First, my presentation of credentials to His Majesty the
Emperor. I think everyone was amazed by the number of people who came out to
welcome me. I know that my Embassy colleagues, Japanese political leaders and
journalists, and certainly people back home were all surprised - even my
children were impressed.
But more striking than the number was the warmth and
excitement that seemed to animate the crowd. It was a great tribute to the
relationship between our countries, and I know that it was also a tribute to
the family legacy that I am proud to represent.
President Kennedy worked hard to strengthen the U.S.-Japan
relationship at a difficult time, and my mother often spoke of his wish to be
the first sitting President to visit Japan. As a child, it made a deep
impression on me that my father's PT boat had been sunk by a Japanese
destroyer, yet just 15 years later he was proud to invite the Japanese
commander to his inauguration as President and excited about the possibility of
uniting the crews of the two vessels on his future state visit.
That's a great parable for our larger relationship and a
reminder that when we focus on the things that unite us instead of those that
divide us, when we look to the future instead of the past, we truly can create
a better world.
Change takes work. It takes courage. And it takes
perseverance. Those are all qualities I saw in the people of Japan when I
first came with my Uncle Teddy in 1978. We went to a Hiroshima hospital and spoke with women who
had been burned in the attack. We laid a wreath to honor the past, but my uncle
also talked about the future we could build together. I saw then, as I saw for
the next 30 years, that he never gave up. He never stopped trying to improve
the lives of others.
That lesson is one we can all remember in our own lives, and
it's important in relationships between nations as well. Our parents and
grandparents built the United States-Japan Alliance through countless acts of
reconciliation, friendship, courage and commitment. Now it's our turn to
continue this work so that we can pass this Alliance on to our children even stronger
than it is now.
It was especially meaningful to me to be embraced by the
people of Japan
during this week of remembrance when I was far from home and family, and I will
always remember the comfort and strength it has given me.
That thoughtfulness came not just from the crowds but from
political leaders and countless individuals who sent me flowers, have written
or spoken to me as I walked Tokyo.
The Emperor himself offered sympathy and spoke of President Kennedy with
admiration.
Respect for ritual and tradition, and the ability to infuse
a formal ceremony with warmth and humanity, are qualities that I admire
greatly, and I feel privileged to have been given these gifts by the people of Japan.
Two days after I had the honor of meeting the Emperor, I
flew with Lieutenant General Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan and
the 5th Air Force, to Yokota Air Base where his headquarters is located. As the
military helicopter rose over Tokyo, I saw the
giant shape of Mount Fuji in the distance
reminding me where I was and how little time we each have in the shadow of
something so timeless.
United States Forces headquarters is located in a nice,
non-descript three-story U-shaped building from the 1970s. Right in the middle
of the "U" where a parking lot used to be now stands the brand new
state-of-the-art headquarters of the Koku Jieitai's Air Defense Command,
commanded by Lieutenant General Nakashima. It's an impressive facility with
great capability, the nerve center of Japanese air defense in a tense and
potentially dangerous part of the world - monitoring the Senkakus and the DPRK.
Right next to General Nakashima sits a chair for the American commander.
Throughout the day, I was impressed by how closely the
American and Japanese military are working together. They have common
equipment, they train together, and the senior generals have built lasting
personal and professional relationships over many years. This mutual respect
and close communication are vital to our strategic partnership and evident to
every visitor. That's why this relationship has underwritten the peace,
security, and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region for more than six decades.
That close working relationship was underscored during the
recent 2+2 meeting with Secretary Kerry and Secretary Hagel held here in Tokyo for the first time.
Work is under way to revise our Bilateral Defense Guidelines for the first time
since 1997 and expand the scope of our mutual cooperation. We support the
evolution of Japan's
security policies as they create a new National Security Strategy, establish a
National Security Council, and take steps to protect national security secrets.
We are committed to the realignment of our bases and proceeding with the
Futenma Replacement Facility.
Additionally, we are committed to conducting joint exercises
and training so that American and Japanese forces can be ready partners in the
defense of Japan, as well as continuing to work together in humanitarian
assistance, disaster relief, economic development and peacekeeping operations
around the world.
At the same time, as Winston Churchill said, "We arm to
parley." In dangerous times, the United States has always stood for
the principle that disputes should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue,
and we are ready to assist this process in every way we can.
As Secretary Kerry said last weekend, we hope to see a more
collaborative and less confrontational future in the Pacific. Unilateral
actions like those taken by China
with their announcement of an "East China Sea Air Defense Identification
Zone" undermine security and constitute an attempt to change the status
quo in the East China Sea. This only serves to
increase tensions in the region.
Japan
has shown great restraint this past year, and we urge them to continue to do
so. We encourage Japan
to increase communications with its neighbors and to continue to respond to
regional challenges in a measured way. We will continue to consult especially
closely with the Japanese government on these issues. And I know Vice President
Biden will be underscoring these messages on his visit next week.
Most importantly, every American should take pride in the
patriotism, the level of excellence, and the commitment our service members and
their families have to the U.S.-Japan Alliance. The Japanese can see every day
that America is here for
them as a partner in the defense of Japan. And Americans can take
satisfaction in knowing that their forward deployment helps keep America safe, and Asia
peaceful and more prosperous.
Speaking of prosperity in Asia,
it's time to talk about Abenomics, Womenomics and TPP. As everyone here knows
well, this is a moment of opportunity. Japan
is enjoying political stability, economic renewal and is eager to increase
trade and investment with the United
States. Our economic ties are broad and
deep, and our economies are closely intertwined. For example, American
products, like the Boeing 787, consist of a large percentage - 35% - of
Japanese components, and U.S.
companies provide half the parts for the new Mitsubishi regional jet.
Insurance, energy, healthcare all represent important sources of future trade
and investment. And just this week Bloom Energy and Softbank announced an
exciting joint venture.
The Japanese sent a large and enthusiastic delegation to the
recent SelectUSA summit, and the entire Asia-Pacific region is poised to
benefit from the passage of TPP. This comprehensive, high-quality trade
agreement was greatly enhanced by Japan's participation. It's complex
and difficult yet critical to our overall Asia-Pacific rebalance both
economically and strategically. A strong Japanese economy is in the U.S. interest,
and TPP is an important lever in Prime Minister Abe's domestic policy agenda as
well.
Ambassador Froman and his negotiators are getting down to
the tough issues, but they are optimistic and the Japanese are fully engaged.
President Obama is committed to a tight timetable, and I have a feeling that
Vice President Biden will deliver that message forcefully next week as well.
But once again, we can't leave everything up to government.
It is up to all of you in this room to make sure that people at home also
understand the positive aspects of this landmark agreement, and work to ensure
its passage. We must also get ready for implementation so that TPP's benefits
can be widely felt without delay. Our Embassy team is committed to helping you
make that happen.
I was impressed that Prime Minister Abe used our first
meeting to showcase and discuss his commitment to Womenomics, just as he did on
his recent visit to New York.
Americans know, and the world has seen, that when women are empowered, the
entire society benefits. The IMF estimates that if Japan increased the numbers of
working women to the level of other developed countries, its overall GDP would
rise 4%.
I believe the prime minister understands that this is not
just a women's issue. It's a man's issue. It's a family issue, an economic and
a national security issue, and it's a moral issue.
In the United
States, we still have a good deal of work to
do, but I am proud that President Obama's first act as President was to sign
the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act removing the barriers to fighting pay
discrimination. And as the first woman to serve as United States Ambassador, I
am also proud that the political and economic minister-counselors and our Army,
legal and press attaches, as well as my chief of staff are women - and I'm
looking forward to learning more about the workplace dynamics here in Japan.
Lastly, over the past two days I visited the Tohoku region
where I was deeply affected by the scale of the destruction yet inspired by the
strength and resilience of the people there. I was humbled to follow in the
footsteps of the U.S.
military and my predecessor, Ambassador John Roos, whose deep personal
commitment to providing help and hope through Operation TOMODACHI is still
being felt every day by the people of the region.
We visited the coastline, where one miracle pine tree
remains out of 70,000 that used to be there - evoking the powerful symbolism of
the single pine tree in Japanese painting. At the Mangokuura Elementary
School, students were amused by my calligraphy
attempts and even tolerated my left-handedness.
I brought home little "ambassadors of hope" in the
form of knitted creatures made by a group of grandmothers who understand that
creativity and community are often all we have in times of loss. Not only does
the crocheting help them focus on the present rather than the past, the women
also treasure the letters they have received from people around the world who
have bought their eco-friendly pot scrubbers. I will be hanging them on the
Christmas tree at the Embassy and sending them to friends to remind them of the
spirit of Tohoku.
Finally, I was able to donate books to a library dedicated
to the memory of Taylor Anderson, an American JET volunteer who taught English
there before she was killed in the Tsunami. And when I looked at the list of
books that had been selected, I noticed that my Uncle Teddy's children's book,
called "My Senator and Me" was one of them. It brought a smile to my
face to think of how much he and his dog Splash (who is the actual author of
the book) would have loved knowing they were big in Mangokuura.
It was two days that Ed and I will never forget. Like the
travel and U.S.
homestay programs in which 10,000 young people have participated, this visit
brought to life the vital role that the TOMODACHI initiative plays in
connecting these communities to the broader world. For those of you in this
room who have supported the TOMODACHI programs, I hope you will take great
satisfaction in the impact that your contributions have made, that you continue
to support these efforts, and maybe that you will go and visit the people there
who are benefitting from your generosity so that they can thank you in person.
I bet you would come back with even more great ideas for programs to help.
Our young people have so much in common. It might start with
anime, but it can become Astronaut Wakata, commanding NASA astronauts on the
International Space Station. It might start on a back lot in Osaka
and end in the greatest triumph in 86 years as Koji Uehara pitched the Red Sox
to victory at Fenway
Park. Now that the world
is interdependent and international, those of us in positions of seniority in
this Alliance need to make sure that young people have opportunities for
collaborative composition that are varied and meaningful - in the arts,
science, education, sports and business.
President Kennedy and Prime Minister Ikeda established
CULCON 50 years ago to address similar issues. Fifty years later, we must build
on that work, meet the goals of doubling international student exchange by
2020, increasing language study and travel so that 50 years from now, people
can look back with the same sense of gratitude that we feel today.
My father admired Uesugi Yozan, an 18th century daimyo from
the Tohoku area known for his good governance and sacrifice for the public
good. Yozan introduced democratic-type reforms, encouraged people of different
social classes to join and serve their communities together in new ways. He
lived simply and invested in the future - building schools and starting
businesses. In ways that resonate with President Kennedy's famous call to
service, he wrote: "The domain is inherited from our ancestors, to be
passed on to our descendants. It must not be thought of as our personal
possession. If you put your mind to it, you can do it; if you do not, you
cannot. That is true for all things. When something is not done, it is because
someone has not done it."
So now it's up to us. As we prepare to celebrate
Thanksgiving tomorrow, I am grateful for so many things - most of all this
opportunity to serve my country, to learn from you, to work with you and with
the people of Japan,
to bring our two great nations even closer together.
Thank you very much.