Obama nominates Caroline Kennedy as ambassador to Japan

President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday that Caroline Kennedy would be the United States' next ambassador to Japan.

Obama praised Kennedy and two other appointed officials for "a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles."

"Our nation will be well served by these individuals, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come," the president said.

More from GlobalPost: Caroline Kennedy considered for Japan ambassador job

The daughter of former President John F. Kennedy will be the first woman to hold the post, provided she is confirmed by the US Senate.

A top supporter of Obama and the co-chair of his vice presidential search committee in 2008, Kennedy is the only surviving member of JFK's immediate family.

She had largely stayed out of the limelight until she publicly expressed interest in running for the New York Senate seat freed up when Hillary Clinton became secretary of state in 2009.

Kennedy ultimately said "personal reasons" led her to decide not to make a bid for the seat.

Kennedy not only co-chaired Obama's committee in 2008, but also endorsed the would-be president in that election, the only time she has done so other than for her uncle, Ted Kennedy, in 1980. She went on to serve as one of 35 national co-chairs of Obama's re-election campaign in 2012, calling him "the kind of leader my father wrote about in 'Profiles in Courage'" in a prime-time speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.