Ambassadors

H.E. Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa

H.E. Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa took up his duties as Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations on 12 September 2013.            Mr. Yoshikawa was born in Nara, Japan, in 1951.  He graduated with a degree in Social Sciences from the International Christian University (Tokyo) in 1974.  In the same year, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  After his studies in Spain at the Universidad de Valladolid and the Escuela Diplomática, he was posted to the Japanese Embassy in Argentina.  In 1980, he returned to Tokyo where he served at the Latin American Bureau, the Personnel Division and the Grant Aid Division of the Economic Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.            In 1986, Mr.  Yoshikawa was appointed as First Secretary at the Japanese Embassy in the United Kingdom.  From 1988 to 1992, he served as Counsellor at the Japanese Delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  After returning to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo, he served first as Director of the Second International Organisations Division of the Economic Affairs Bureau, and later, as Director of the United Nations Policy Division of the Foreign Policy Bureau in charge of the General Assembly and the Security Council.  During this period, he also served as Visiting Professor at Ryukoku University in Kyoto.            From 1995 to 1997, he served as Minister at the Japanese Embassy in Thailand.  From 1997 to 2002, he was Minister and subsequently Ambassador for Political Affairs at the Japanese Mission to the United Nations in New York.  During his time in New York, he served as Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Peace Keeping Operations of the General Assembly.  In 2002, he returned to Tokyo and was named Deputy Director-General of the Economic Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  From 2004 to 2006, he was Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau of the Ministry.            Then, from 2006 to 2009, he served as Ambassador to Spain.  He was the first Japanese Ambassador who received the highest Spanish decoration while still serving as Ambassador in Spain.  From 2009 to 2010, Ambassador Yoshikawa served as Japan’s first Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Until his nomination as Permanent Representative to the United Nations, he served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the OECD in Paris.  At the OECD, he served as Chair of the Executive Committee for two and a half years.            He speaks Japanese, English, Spanish and French.  He is married to Corinne Groud and has two sons.  He has received decorations from Argentina, Morocco and Spain.

H.E. Mr. Kazuyoshi Umemoto

H.E. Mr. Kazuyoshi Umemoto Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
March 1977	Graduated from Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo
April 1977	Joined Ministry of Foreign Affairs
August 1994	Senior Coordinator Management and Coordination Division
September 1994	Director Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division North American Affairs Bureau
August 1997	Director First International Organization Division Economic Affairs Bureau
January 2001	Director Northeast Asia Division Asian And Oceanian Affairs Bureau
April 2001	Director Policy Coordination Division Foreign Policy Bureau
November 2001	Minister Embassy of Japan In the United Kingdom
March 2004	Deputy Director-General Middle Eastern And African Affairs Bureau
July 2004	Deputy Director-General North American Affairs Bureau
August 2007	Deputy Director-General Foreign Policy Bureau
January 2009	Director-General North American Affairs Bureau
September 2011	Ambassador　Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Switzerland and to the Principality of Liechtenstein
November 2012	Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary Cabinet Secretariat
January 2013	Amabassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Deputy Representative of Japan to the United Nations

H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Minami

H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Minami Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Date of Birth: May 1, 1959
University Degrees	BA in Law, University of Tokyo
	MA in Economics, St John's College, University of Cambridge
Professional Career
August 2014 – present	current post
January 2012 – July 2014	Deputy Director-General for Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
June 2010 – January 2012	Counselor, Cabinet Secretariat
January 2008 – June 2010	Minister, Head of Chancery, Embassy of Japan in Russia
December 2005 – January 2008	Minister in charge of human rights, humanitarian affairs and Specialized Agencies, Permanent Mission of Japan in Geneva
August 2004 – December 2005	Director, Global Issues Policy Division, Global Issues Department, MOFA
August 2003 – July 2004	Director, UN Administration Division, Multilateral Cooperation Department, MOFA
August 2001 – July 2003	Director, Second West Europe Division, European Affairs Bureau, MOFA
March 2001 – August 2001	Director for G8 Summit, Economic Affairs Bureau, MOFA
August 1999 – February 2001	Deputy Director, Coordination Division, Foreign Minister's Secretariat, MOFA
October 1998 – August 1999	Private Secretary to Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Served in the embassies in London and Beijing
April 1983	joined the foreign service
Marital Status	married with a son and a daughter