U.S. envoy Kennedy sends letter to thank Japanese woman for doll set gift
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy sent a letter Thursday to thank a 92-year-old woman from Kitami, Hokkaido Prefecture who gifted a set of traditional Japanese dolls decades ago that is now on display at the envoy's residence in Tokyo.
The letter was delivered to Tsuyako Matsumoto, who now lives in a nursing home in Kitami, by JoEllen Gorg, principal officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Sapporo City, on behalf of Kenney, who had official duties elsewhere.
Matsumoto sent the "hina" dolls to the ambassador's father, President John F. Kennedy, at the White House in 1962. She said she was inspired to give the gift after writing to President Kennedy one day and receiving back a letter expressing gratitude from a presidential secretary.
The ambassador has kept the set since her childhood. The dolls are typically on display at Japanese homes for the March 3 Girls' Day festival.
The sender was discovered after Kennedy solicited support from the news media to discover the origins of the gift when she visited Sapporo earlier this month.
February 26, 2015(Mainichi Japan)
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