2020 Annual Gala Honoree: Ambassador Masaharu Kohno

Bridge Building Visionary

Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace

Senior Advisor, TOMODACHI Initiative

Executive Board member, TOKYO 2020

Ambassador Kohno graduated from the Tokyo University Faculty of Law in 1973, and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) that year. He has held various important posts with MOFA since then, including Consul-General of Japan in Los Angeles (2001); Director-General for Sub-Saharan African Affairs (2003); Deputy Vice Minister for Foreign Policy (2005); Deputy Minister (G8 Sherpa) (2007); Ambassador to Russia (2009); and Ambassador to Italy (2011). He assumed his current post in 2014. He is also an Executive Board Member of the Organising Committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Chairman of the John Manjiro Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange. He also serves as Outside Director of the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc and Senior Advisor to the TOMODACHI Initiative.

21 December 1948           Born in Hiroshima, Japan
March 1973                      Graduated from Tokyo University, Faculty of Law
April 1973                         Entered Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
August 1989                     Director, First Southeast Asia Division, Asian Affairs Bureau, MOFA
December 1991                Executive Assistant to the Chief Cabinet Secretary
                                          H.E. Mr. Koichi KATO
December 1992                Executive Assistant to the Chief Cabinet Secretary
                                          H.E. Mr. Yohei KONO
August 1993                      Executive Assistant to the Chief Cabinet Secretary
                                          H.E. Mr. Masayoshi TAKEMURA
January 1994                    Director, First North America Division, North American Affairs Bureau
July 1996                          Minister, Embassy of Japan in the U.K.
                                          and Consul-General of Japan in London
August 1998                      Minister, Embassy of Japan in the U.S.A
August 1999                      Deputy Director-General, Asian Affairs Bureau, MOFA
September 2000                Deputy Director-General, North American Affairs Bureau, MOFA
January 2001                     Deputy Director-General, Foreign Policy Bureau, MOFA
April 2001                           Consul-General of Japan in Los Angeles
August 2003                       Director-General for Sub-Saharan African Affairs, MOFA
August 2005                       Director-General, Foreign Policy Bureau, MOFA
January 2007                      Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, MOFA
February 2009                    Ambassador of Japan to the Russian Federation
May 2011                            Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Italy
September 2014                 Present Position
                                            Executive Board Member, The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
June 2015                           Outside Director of the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group

Yuko Kaifu in a fireside chat with Ambassador Kohno