Japan said Thursday that it welcomes Caroline Kennedy as the first female US ambassador to Japan after the US Senate confirmed her nomination Wednesday.
Xinhua quoted Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko as saying in a press conference here that Japan hoped Kennedy could serve as a bridge in Japan-US bilateral relations.
"We hope she will assume the post soon and play an active role in various fields," Seko said.
The US Senate Wednesday approved President Barack Obama's nomination of 55-year-old Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, as the new ambassador to Japan.
