Her disapproval angered many Japanese, some of who took to social media themselves to call Kennedy a hypocrite for American consumption of cattle and sheep. And yet the tone of Kennedy’s tweet, which was in English and Japanese, was appropriately sedate and respectful: “Deeply concerned by inhumaneness of drive hunt dolphin killing. [The US government] opposes drive hunt fisheries.”
It’s understandable that some Japanese citizens would be taken aback at the notion that Kennedy would so openly censure a long-held fishing custom in a host country. But she was in her rights to speak up, and outside criticism of the event has had some positive influence; local fishermen have sought out more humane ways to kill the dolphins once captured. Perhaps — as the two nations grapple with much more difficult controversies, including relations with China and North Korea — this mini-contretemps will serve as a helpful reminder of the diplomatic reality that even strong allies don’t have to agree on everything.