Takehiro Shimada (島田 丈裕, Shimada Takehiro; born April 25, 1967) is a Japanese diplomat. After joining the Ministry of…Takehiro Shimada (島田 丈裕, Shimada Takehiro; born April 25, 1967) is a Japanese diplomat. After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991, he served in a number of senior positions, including Deputy Assistant Minister (Shingikan) in the Minister's Secretariat and Chief of Protocol. In July 2024, he was appointed Minister at the Embassy of Japan in the United States. His father served as a medical officer at a Japanese consulate in Brazil.
Asako Okai is a Japanese diplomat and UN official currently serving as the ambassador of Japan in Bahrain. She started…Asako Okai is a Japanese diplomat and UN official currently serving as the ambassador of Japan in Bahrain. She started her career at the UN as assistant administrator at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and director for the UNDP Crisis Bureau, and became United Nations Assistant Secretary-General in 2018. During her time at the USDP, she was in charge of the UNDP’s corporate crisis-related work.
Mami Mizutori (水鳥 真美, Mizutori Mami; born 15 November 1960) is a Japanese diplomat. She has been the Assistant…Mami Mizutori (水鳥 真美, Mizutori Mami; born 15 November 1960) is a Japanese diplomat. She has been the Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction in the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR, formerly UNISDR) since March 2018.
Jiro Ono (小野 次郎, Ono Jirō; born 7 August 1953) is a Japanese politician of Your Party, formerly of the Liberal…Jiro Ono (小野 次郎, Ono Jirō; born 7 August 1953) is a Japanese politician of Your Party, formerly of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors, formerly a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Hokuto, Yamanashi, and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the National Police Agency in 1976, receiving a master's degree in jurisprudence from the University of Angers in France while in the agency. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in the 2005 Japanese general election. He ran in House of Councillors election in 2010 as a proportional candidate of Your Party and won.
Koro Bessho (別所 浩郎, Bessho Kōrō; born 5 February 1953) is a Japanese diplomat who has served as Grand Chamberlain to…Koro Bessho (別所 浩郎, Bessho Kōrō; born 5 February 1953) is a Japanese diplomat who has served as Grand Chamberlain to the Emperor since 2021. He previously served as Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2016 to 2019, and as President of the United Nations Security Council in July 2016 and December 2017.
Masato Kitera (木寺 昌人, Kitera Masato; born 10 October 1952) is a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to France…Masato Kitera (木寺 昌人, Kitera Masato; born 10 October 1952) is a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to France from 2016 to 2019 and ambassador to China from 2013 to 2016. Born in Tokyo on 10 October 1952, he studied law at the University of Tokyo and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after graduating in 1976. He served as director for African affairs, chief of the International Cooperation Bureau and chief secretary in the ministry. He also briefly served as Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary for foreign affairs, before being appointed ambassador to China in 2012, to replace Shinichi Nishimiya, who had died soon after his appointment. Kitera left the post and was appointed Ambassador to France in 2016, serving until 2019. After retiring from public service, Kitera has served on the board of Marubeni, Nippon Steel and Japan Tobacco.
Koji Tsuruoka (鶴岡 公二, Tsuruoka Koji; born 10 August 1952) is a Japanese diplomat. He served as the Japanese ambassador…Koji Tsuruoka (鶴岡 公二, Tsuruoka Koji; born 10 August 1952) is a Japanese diplomat. He served as the Japanese ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019.
Yoshiji Nogami (野上 義二, Nogami Yoshiji; born 19 June 1942) is a Japanese diplomat. He joined the Japanese ministry of…Yoshiji Nogami (野上 義二, Nogami Yoshiji; born 19 June 1942) is a Japanese diplomat. He joined the Japanese ministry of Foreign Affairs during the late 1960s. On January 30, 2002 he was dismissed from his position as Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs following disagreement with Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka over the participation of two NGOs in the conference regarding the reconstruction of Afghanistan, then held in Tokyo. From 2002 to 2004, he served as Minister at the Japanese Embassy in the United Kingdom, and from 2004 to 2008 as Japanese Ambassador to the United Kingdom. In March 2019, Nogami spoke at the Tokyo forum on the question of whether Japan is sufficiently invested in South-east Asia. He said Japan's foreign direct investment in the region is already overtaking what it spends in China.
Koichi Haraguchi (原口 幸市, Haraguchi Kōichi; November 24, 1940 – October 4, 2009) was a former Japanese diplomat and the…Koichi Haraguchi (原口 幸市, Haraguchi Kōichi; November 24, 1940 – October 4, 2009) was a former Japanese diplomat and the Grand Master of Ceremonies of the Imperial Household Agency.
Shunji Yanai (柳井 俊二, Yanai Shunji, born 15 January 1937) is a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to the United…Shunji Yanai (柳井 俊二, Yanai Shunji, born 15 January 1937) is a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to the United States from 1999 until 2001 and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 1999. After his diplomatic career, he served as a judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea from 2005 to 2023 and was its president from 2011 to 2014.
Hisahiko Okazaki (岡崎 久彦, Okazaki Hisahiko) (April 8, 1930 – October 26, 2014) was a Japanese diplomat, political…Hisahiko Okazaki (岡崎 久彦, Okazaki Hisahiko) (April 8, 1930 – October 26, 2014) was a Japanese diplomat, political commentator, and director of the Okazaki Institute in Tokyo.
Takeso Shimoda (下田 武三, Shimoda Takezō; 3 April 1907 – 22 January 1995) was a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador…Takeso Shimoda (下田 武三, Shimoda Takezō; 3 April 1907 – 22 January 1995) was a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to the United States and a justice in the Supreme Court of Japan.
Shun'ichi Kase (加瀬 俊一, Kase Shun'ichi; October 23, 1897– September 9, 1956) was a Japanese diplomat both during and…Shun'ichi Kase (加瀬 俊一, Kase Shun'ichi; October 23, 1897– September 9, 1956) was a Japanese diplomat both during and after World War II. Shun'ichi Kase was a secretary to Japanese Foreign Minister Yōsuke Matsuoka in 1941. Then he was chargé d’affaires in Italy, as of 1943. Subsequently, he served as Japanese Ambassador to Switzerland (in 1945), Japanese Ambassador to Mexico (in 1952), and Japanese Ambassador to West Germany (1953-1956). The names Shun'ichi Kase and Toshikazu Kase are spelled in Japanese using the same characters, but are two different people. Toshikazu was a bureau chief in the foreign office in Tokyo who also served as secretary to several foreign ministers.
Shigeru Yoshida (吉田 茂, Yoshida Shigeru; Japanese pronunciation: [jo.ɕi.da (|) ɕi.ɡe.ɾɯ, -ŋe.ɾɯ], 22 September 1878 – 20…Shigeru Yoshida (吉田 茂, Yoshida Shigeru; Japanese pronunciation: [jo.ɕi.da (|) ɕi.ɡe.ɾɯ, -ŋe.ɾɯ], 22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and again from 1948 to 1954, serving through most of the country's occupation after World War II. Yoshida played a major role in determining the course of post-war Japan by forging a strong relationship with the United States and pursuing economic recovery. Born in Tokyo to a former samurai family, Yoshida graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1906 and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He held various assignments abroad, including in China, where he advocated increased Japanese influence. From 1928 to 1930, Yoshida served as vice minister of foreign affairs, then served as ambassador to Italy until 1932. In 1936, he was considered for foreign minister in the cabinet of Kōki Hirota, but he was opposed by the Army, who strongly identified him with liberalism and friendship with Great Britain and the United States. Yoshida served as ambassador to Britain from 1936 to 1938. He largely avoided political participation during the Pacific War. During the U.S. occupation after the war's end, Yoshida served as foreign minister in the cabinets of Prince Higashikuni and Kijūrō Shidehara. Yoshida became prime minister in 1946, after Ichirō Hatoyama was purged by authorities on the verge of taking office; Yoshida served as foreign minister in his own first three cabinets. He oversaw the adoption of the Constitution of Japan before losing office after the election of 1947. He returned to the premiership in 1948, and negotiated the Treaty of San Francisco, which ended the occupation and saw the restoration of sovereignty to Japan, and a security treaty with the U.S. Yoshida pursued a strategy of concentrating on economic reconstruction while relying on an alliance with the United States for defense, a strategy known as the Yoshida Doctrine. The last years of his premiership were marked by conflict with Hatoyama, who had by then been depurged. This culminated in Yoshida being ousted and replaced by Hatoyama in 1954. Yoshida's legacy continued to play an important part in Japanese political life, particularly through his two protégés, Hayato Ikeda and Eisaku Satō, who served as prime ministers from 1960 to 1964 and 1964 to 1972 respectively. Yoshida died in 1967 and received a state funeral. His grandson, Tarō Asō, served as prime minister from 2008 to 2009.
Baron Ijūin Hikokichi (伊集院 彦吉, Ijūin Hikokichi; 22 July 1864 – 26 April 1924) was a Japanese diplomat and politician…Baron Ijūin Hikokichi (伊集院 彦吉, Ijūin Hikokichi; 22 July 1864 – 26 April 1924) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as minister of foreign affairs and Japanese ambassador to the Qing dynasty.
