The media and public waited with high expectations as Caroline Kennedy, the new U.S. ambassador, arrived Friday in Japan, becoming the first female to assume the post.
Kennedy, 55, the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, is expected to present her credentials to Emperor Akihito during a ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Tuesday.
"It is a special honor for me to be able to work to strengthen the close ties between our two great countries," she said in a statement upon her arrival at Narita International Airport.