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. Yoshifumi OKAMURA

H.E. Mr. Yoshifumi Okamura Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
Born 13 January 1958 in Osaka, Japan
March 1981	Graduated from the Law Faculty, University of Tokyo B.A. in Public Law
April 1981	Entered Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan Official, Economic Affaires Division, United Nations Bureau, MOFA
June 1984	Third Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Algeria
June 1986	Staff, Operation Division, National Defence Bureau, Self-Defence Agency
April 1988	Assistant Director, First Western Europe Division, European and Oceanic Bureau, MOFA
August 1990	Deputy Director, Nuclear Energy and Non-proliferation Division, MOFA
October 1993	First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Italy
December 1995	Councillor, Embassy of Japan in India
August 1999	Chief political officer, United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
January 2001	Director, Disarmament and Arms Control Division, MOFA
February 2003	Minister, Embassy of Japan in France
April 2006	Minister, Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna
September 2008	Ambassador of Japan to Cote d'Ivoire
October 2011	Consul General of Japan at Chicago
September 2012	Director-General for African Affairs, MOFA
August 2014	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Deputy Representative of Japan to the United Nations