For Immediate Release: March 5, 2015
Further information: Megan Piccirillo (617) 514-1665, megan.piccirillo@jfklfoundation.org
Boston MA – On March 6, 2015, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Kennedy Library), the U.S. National Archives, and the National Archives of Japan will unveil a special international exhibit in Tokyo, Japan. JFK: His Life and Legacy highlights President Kennedy’s service in World War, his relationship with Japan, and his accomplishments in the White House, including the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and American investment in the space program that led to the first moon landing. The exhibit runs through May 10, 2015.
Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Ambassador to the Japan, David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, Thomas J. Putnam, Director of the Kennedy Library, and Takeo Katoh, President of the National Archives of Japan, marked the exhibit opening at a ceremony at the National Archives of Japan on March 5, 2015.
"We are honored to collaborate with the National Archives of Japan on this unique international exhibit and look forward to sharing the story of President Kennedy with the Japanese people," said David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States.
JFK: His Life and Legacy features treasures from the Kennedy Library’s collection related to JFK’s service in World War II and his 1951 trip to Asia, which included a visit to Japan. The display includes photos and documents from Japanese Prime Minister Ikeda’s 1961 visit to the United States, establishment of the U.S.-Japan committee which strengthened relations between the United States and Japan, and the appointment of Edwin O. Reischauer as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
Original holdings on loan from the Kennedy Library include:
- The carved coconut shell with rescue message from Lieutenant John F. Kennedy. After JFK and the crew of the PT-109 were stranded off the coast of the Solomon Islands, JFK gave the coconut to two natives to deliver to the Patrol Torpedo base at Rendova so they could be rescued;
- Kennedy's dog tags from World War II;
- Jacqueline Kennedy's bound copy of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed by President Kennedy;
- Selected footage from some of President Kennedy's most famous speeches, including his Inaugural Address and Address at American University; and
- President Kennedy's reading copy of his Address at American University.