1963.11.22.12:30

It’s November 22nd (2013). Former U.S. president John F. Kennedy was assassinated fifty years ago today.

JFK, 1917 May 29th – 1963 Nov 22nd, RIP

(His daughter, Caroline Kennedy, has recently become the U.S. ambassador to Japan, by the way. Click here to read my post about that.)

I was born in November 1969. Six years after the JFK assassination. My parents were junior high school students back then…so, of course, they remember that day well.

Since I hadn’t been born yet, I obviously have no memory of that event in history.

The earliest historical event that I can remember is the U.S. bi-centennial in July 1976. I was only six years old, so I didn’t really understand it…but I seem to remember it somewhat.

The earliest historical event that I can remember clearly and that I understood was was the U.S. diplomats in the U.S. embassy in Iran being taken hostage in 1979. There were yellow ribbons tied to trees, car radio antennas, etc all over America.

How about you?
Do you remember the JFK assassination? What are your memories?
What other historical events do you remember?

U.S. Ambassador Kennedy

On November 12th (2013), it was confirmed that the new U.S. Ambassador to Japan is to be Caroline Kennedy.

She is the daughter of the late former U.S. president John F. Kennedy.

Caroline Kennedy as a small child with her father, John F. (“JFK”) Kennedy.

She and her family will move into the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Tokyo tomorrow…one week before the 50th anniversary of the 1963 November 22nd assassination of her father, JFK.

Caroline Kennedy and her husband are reportedly very fond of Japan…they spent their honeymoon in 1986 in Kyoto, Japan.

45 Years Ago…

Forty-five years ago last Saturday, on Friday 22 November 1963, the U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
And forty-five years ago today, on 24 November 1963, the man who was arrested for assassinating President Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, was killed by Jack Ruby.

This happened before I was born (my parents were only 14 years old at the time), so of course I have no memory of it…but I’ve heard that people who were alive can still remember exactly where they were when they heard that JFK was assassinated. Kinda like the September 11 attacks of 2001 (Speaking of which, Click here to read my Sept 11 post).

+++

Anyways, yesterday we went to a キク祭 (Chrysanthemum Festival).　The キク (Chrysanthemum) is the official flower of Japan’s royal family. In fact, the 皇位 (Japanese Imperial Family) is often referred to as the “Chrysanthemum Throne“.

After that, we went where my kids really wanted to go: shopping. They’re girls, so that’s their hobby! 🙂

We took the train to a store that was having a big sale. My wife and daughters shopped, while I waited outside with a coffee and a newspaper.

Anyways, here’s a common sight on the platforms of train stations in Japan…the KIOSK that sells newspapers, magazines, snacks, gum, candy, bread, beer, juice, cigarettes, hand towels, neckties, etc: