Sendai Television and Kahoku Shimpo reported on Sunday that Ambassador Kennedy participated in a cherry-tree-planting ceremony with local children on Oshima Island off Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, on Saturday. As part of Operation Tomodachi, the U.S. military dispatched some 300 Marines to the island to help with reconstruction after it had become isolated when harbors there were completely washed away by….Read more

NHK’s Sendai station and Kahoku Shimpo reported on Friday and Saturday, respectively, that Ambassador Kennedy visited the Control System Security Center in Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, on Friday. The facility is a joint project between METI and private firms that was established in 2012 to conduct research and development of technology to protect computer control systems at power plants and other….Read more

Monday’s Sankei and Mainichi wrote briefly that Ambassador Kennedy offered flowers on Sunday at a primary school memorial built in honor of the 84 students and teachers who were killed in the 2011 tsunami in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. The Ambassador toured Okawa elementary school for about 30 minutes while participating in the “Tour de Tohoku” cycling event.   

Asahi wrote that Ambassador Kennedy held talks with Justice Minister Kaneda on Thursday at his office. The ministry said that concerning the GOJ’s plan to submit to the Diet a revised bill that would make conspiracy a crime in order to strengthen counterterrorism measures, the Ambassador told the minister that she is encouraged by the news that the bill may….Read more

Sankei reported online that Ambassador Kennedy and Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister Tsuruho held talks at his office on Wednesday and agreed that the United States and Japan will further strengthen cooperation in a wide range of issues, including Futenma relocation and science and technology development. The paper wrote that the Ambassador expressed gratitude for the Japanese government’s efforts….Read more

Nikkei reported online this morning that Tokyo Governor Koike met with Ambassador Kennedy earlier in the day at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. In response to the Ambassador’s congratulatory remarks on Koike’s assuming the governorship, Governor Koike reportedly thanked the Ambassador for her efforts to promote the bilateral relationship.  The Governor also reportedly touched on the Ambassador’s trip to the earthquake….Read more

Yomiuri wrote that Japan’s First Lady Akie Abe hosted a ceremony in Tokyo on Monday evening to introduce Japanese sake using pesticide-free rice grown in her husband’s hometown of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Ambassador Kennedy took part in the event since she was invited to Yamaguchi by Mrs. Abe to participate in rice planting last summer.