Kennedy was only six when her father was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. Aged 56, she is the only living child of the former president.

　　Kennedy is an author and attorney. "She is the editor of several New York Times best-selling books on topics including constitutional law, American history, politics and poetry," the White House said.

　　The younger Kennedy received a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She serves as president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and chair of the Senior Advisory Committee of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University.

　　From 1994 to 2011, she served on the Board of Directors of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which organizes debates in presidential elections. In the 2008 election, she endorsed Obama early in the primary race, stumped for him in Florida, Indiana and Ohio, and served as co-chair of his Vice Presidential Search Committee.

　　Kennedy once considered filling in the vacant Senate seat from New York vacated by Hillary Clinton after she became Obama's secretary of state, but withdrew later citing "personal reasons."

　　Japan is seen as a key ally in the Obama administration's rebalance toward the Asia and Pacific region. If confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy will be the first woman ever on the ambassadorial post to the Asian nation.