Participants of “The Torch Has Been Passed” symposium visited the National Archives of Japan to see its exhibit about JFK: a collaboration between the Archives and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
I enjoyed the exhibition tremendously. It describes JFK’s administration through the lenses of civil rights and foreign policy, and also touches upon his youth and personal life.
The international collaboration produced some fascinating material — notably with respect to JFK’s World War II service. The exhibition tells the famous story of the Japanese destroyer that sank Kennedy’s boat PT-109. The JFK Library contributed artifacts such as Kennedy’s dog tags and the storied coconut paperweight, which has journeyed from Boston to delight crowds in Tokyo.
The Japan side contributed naval records of the day of the ship sinking, and some remarkable letters after the war between JFK and the former captain of the Japanese vessel, Hanami Kohei. The JFK administration had been planning in Tokyo the first-ever presidential visit to Japan, which would feature a reunion of the two crews —from the Japanese vessel and PT-109. But because of the president’s assassination, the visit would never happen. Last week, however, at the exhibition opening, Ambassador Kennedy met the widow of Captain Hanami, an experience she called “profoundly moving.”
Japan’s Archivist, Mr. Takeo Katoh, reports that the exhibit has been a resounding success, with over 30,000 visitors. He said that the museum sold out, in just three days, of all of the souvenirs. (I guess I’ll have to go to the JFK Library at home to get myself a coconut paperweight!) Mr. Katoh was the driving force behind the exhibit: he remembers, as a young man working at Fuji Electric, when Robert Kennedy toured his company during his 1962 visit. Katoh contributed to the exhibition a newsletter from Fuji detailing the Attorney General’s visit.
I was so excited when museum staff told me that they relied heavily on my research for the portion of the exhibit on the 1962 RFK visit, as well as for the audio tour they created. What a thrill.
As part of the week’s events, the JFK Library Foundation cosponsored, with Waseda University, a major symposium at the historic Okuma auditorium at Waseda. More of my comments on that great event to come.