Jack Kennedy Schlossberg and Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.Photo: Jack Schlossberg/Twitter
Jack Kennedy Schlossberg, grandson of PresidentJohn F. Kennedyand son of onetime U.S. Ambassador to JapanCaroline Kennedy, is remembering former Japanese Prime MinisterShinzo Abehours after his assassination.
Abe, 67,was fatally shot Friday morninglocal time while giving a campaign speech in Nara, Japan, just two days before a parliamentary election.
News of his passing resurfaced fond memories for Schlossberg, 29, who called the world dignitary an “amazing leader who transformed Japan” on Instagram.
More charmingly, Schlossberg said that on his 23rd birthday, only two people attended his celebration: his mother, Caroline, and Prime Minister Abe himself.
“The only 2 guests at my 23rd birthday worked together to make the US-Japan alliance stronger,” Schlossberg wrote.
PHOTO: Jack Schlossberg/InstagramPHOTO: Jack Schlossberg/InstagramPHOTO: Jack Schlossberg/Instagram
Over on Twitter, Schlossberg shared a similar sentiment, writing that Abe’s legacy endures through “the ties that bind our two nations.” He finished the tweet with “Otsukare!” — a Japanese compliment used to thank someone for their hard work.
Schlossberg, an American lawyer who made several public appearances in Japan alongside his mother while she served as an ambassador, was not the only one to come forward with stories and kind words after Abe’s sudden and violent passing.
PresidentsJoe Biden,Donald Trump,Barack ObamaandGeorge W. Bush— all of whom got to know the prime minister during his political career — each shared statements about his assassination, with Bidenordering U.S. flags to be lowered to half-staffuntil Sunday night out of respect for his memory.
Other world leaders, includingoutgoingBritish Prime MinisterBoris Johnson, Ukraine PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy, French PresidentEmmanuel Macronand German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, also offered condolences and praise from their nations' unique perspectives.
source: people.com
