United States Ambassador to Japan
Encyclopedia
The United States Ambassador to Japan (Japanese
: ) is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary
from the United States
to Japan
. Since the opening of Japan
by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period following the attack on Pearl Harbor
and the subsequent declaration of war
on Japan by the United States. The United States maintains an embassy in Tokyo
, with consulates-general
in Osaka
, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka
, and Naha
.
In recent years, the post has been held by many significant American politicians, including Mike Mansfield
, Walter Mondale
, Tom Foley
and Howard Baker
.
The current ambassador to Japan is John Roos
who was nominated by President
Barack Obama
and confirmed
by the Senate
on August 7, 2009. Roos presented his credentials
to Akihito
, Emperor of Japan
, on August 20, 2009.
.
Resident Ministers
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
: ) is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Since the opening of Japan
Convention of Kanagawa
On March 31, 1854, the or was concluded between Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the U.S. Navy and the Tokugawa shogunate.-Treaty of Peace and Amity :...
by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period following the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and the subsequent declaration of war
Declaration of war by the United States
A declaration of war is a formal declaration issued by a national government indicating that a state of war exists between that nation and another. For the United States, Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution says "Congress shall have power to ... declare War"...
on Japan by the United States. The United States maintains an embassy in Tokyo
Embassy of the United States in Tokyo
The Embassy of the United States in Tokyo represents the United States to Japan. Along with consulates general in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Naha, the embassy provides assistance to American citizens and issues visas to foreign nationals who wish to visit or immigrate to the United...
, with consulates-general
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, and Naha
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
.
In recent years, the post has been held by many significant American politicians, including Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield
Michael Joseph Mansfield was an American Democratic politician and the longest-serving Majority Leader of the United States Senate, serving from 1961 to 1977. He also served as United States Ambassador to Japan for over ten years...
, Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
, Tom Foley
Tom Foley
Thomas Stephen Foley was the 57th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1989 to 1995. He represented Washington's 5th congressional district for 30 years as a Democratic member from 1965 to 1995....
and Howard Baker
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
.
The current ambassador to Japan is John Roos
John Roos
John Victor Roos is the United States Ambassador to Japan. Before accepting the ambassadorship from President Barack Obama, Roos was the CEO of Silicon Valley-based law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati....
who was nominated by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
by the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on August 7, 2009. Roos presented his credentials
Letter of Credence
A letter of credence is a formal letter usually sent by one head of state to another that formally grants diplomatic accreditation to a named individual to be their ambassador in the country of the head of state receiving the letter...
to Akihito
Akihito
is the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
, Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
, on August 20, 2009.
List of chiefs of mission
The following is a list of chiefs of missionDiplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
.
Resident Ministers
Resident (title)
A Resident, or in full Resident Minister, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indirect rule....
- Townsend HarrisTownsend HarrisTownsend Harris was a successful New York City merchant and minor politician, and the first United States Consul General to Japan...
(Presented credentials, November 5, 1859–Presented recall, April 26, 1862) - Robert Pruyn (Presented credentials, May 17, 1862-Left Japan, April 28, 1865)
- Chauncey DepewChauncey DepewChauncey Mitchell Depew was an attorney for Cornelius Vanderbilt's railroad interests, president of the New York Central Railroad System, and a United States Senator from New York from 1899 to 1911.- Biography:...
(commissioned during a recess of Senate; declined appointment) - Robert Van Valkenburgh (Presented credentials, May 4, 1867–Presented recall, November 11, 1869)
- Charles E. DeLongCharles E. DeLongCharles E. DeLong was an American diplomat who served as the United States Envoy to Japan during the mid-19th century.-Early life:...
(Presented credentials, November 11, 1869-promoted to Envoy)
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
| Name | Presented credentials | End of term | End of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles E. DeLong Charles E. DeLong Charles E. DeLong was an American diplomat who served as the United States Envoy to Japan during the mid-19th century.-Early life:... |
June 9, 1872 | Farewell address | October 7, 1873 |
| John Bingham John Bingham John Armor Bingham was a Republican congressman from Ohio, America, judge advocate in the trial of the Abraham Lincoln assassination and a prosecutor in the impeachment trials of Andrew Johnson... |
October 7, 1873 | Presented recall | July 2, 1885 |
| Richard B. Hubbard Richard B. Hubbard Richard Bennett Hubbard, Jr. was the 16th Governor of Texas from 1876 to 1879 and United States Envoy to Japan from 1885 to 1889. He was a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War and was a member of the Democratic Party.-Early years:Hubbard was the son of Richard Bennett and Serena Hubbard... |
July 2, 1885 | Presented recall | May 15, 1889 |
| John Franklin Swift John Franklin Swift John Franklin Swift . He was an American politician and author. Swift was a Republican member of the California State Assembly. He represented the 8th district in 1863 and 1873-75. In 1875 he ran as an independent for congress, but lost to William A. Piper. He later represented the 13th... |
May 15, 1889 | Died at post | March 10, 1891 |
| Frank Coombs Frank Coombs Frank Leslie Coombs was a United States Representative from California.-Life:Frank Leslie Coombs was born in Napa, Napa County, California, the son of Nathan Coombs and Maria Isabel Gordon. He attended the public schools in California and Dorchester High School in Boston, Massachusetts... |
June 13, 1892 | Presented recall | July 14, 1893 |
| Edwin Dun Edwin Dun Edwin Dun was a rancher from Ohio who was employed as an o-yatoi gaikokujin in Hokkaidō by the Hokkaidō Development Commission and advised the Japanese government on modernizing agricultural techniques during the Meiji modernization period.Dun was a native of Chillicothe, Ohio and had studied at... |
July 14, 1893 | Presented recall | July 2, 1897 |
| Alfred Buck | June 3, 1898 | Died at post | December 4, 1902 |
| Lloyd Carpenter Griscom Lloyd Carpenter Griscom Lloyd Carpenter Griscom was an American diplomat.-Biography:He was born on November 4, 1872 in born at Riverton, New Jersey to Clement Griscom. He graduated in 1891 from the University of Pennsylvania and studied law there and then at the New York Law School... |
June 22, 1903 | Left Japan | November 19, 1905 |
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
| Name | Presented credentials | End of term | End of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke E. Wright | May 26, 1906 | Left Japan | August 13, 1907 |
| Thomas J. O'Brien | October 15, 1907 | Left Post | August 31, 1911 |
| Charles Page Bryan Charles Page Bryan Charles Page Bryan was an American lawyer and diplomat.Bryan was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 2, 1856. He received his preparatory education in that city, subsequently becoming a student at the University of Virginia and later taking his degree in law at Columbian University , Washington,... |
November 22, 1911 | Left Post | October 1, 1912 |
| Larz Anderson Larz Anderson Larz Anderson III was a wealthy American businessman and diplomat who briefly served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan .... |
February 1, 1913 | Left Japan | March 15, 1913 |
| George W. Guthrie George W. Guthrie George W. Guthrie , served as Mayor of Pittsburgh from 1906 to 1909.-Early life:George Wilkins Guthrie was born in Pittsburgh in 1848... |
August 7, 1913 | Died at post | March 8, 1917 |
| Roland Morris | October 30, 1917 | Left Japan | May 15, 1920 |
| Charles B. Warren Charles B. Warren Charles Beecher Warren was an American diplomat and politician.Charles B. Warren was born in Bay City, Michigan. During World War I, He served in the U.S... |
September 24, 1921 | Left Japan | January 28, 1922 |
| Cyrus Woods Cyrus Woods Cyrus Woods was an American diplomat and politician.He was born September 3, 1861 in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. He attended Lafayette University and was a brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity there . He later graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a law degree in 1889... |
July 21, 1923 | Left Japan | June 5, 1924 |
| Edgar Bancroft Edgar Bancroft Edgar Addison Bancroft was an American lawyer and diplomat. He served as United States Ambassador to Japan from 1924 to 1925.-Early life:... |
November 19, 1924 | Died at post | July 27, 1925 |
| Charles MacVeagh Charles MacVeagh Charles MacVeagh was an American lawyer and diplomat. He served as United States Ambassador to Japan from 1925 to 1928.-Early life:Charles MacVeagh was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania on June 6, 1860... |
December 9, 1925 | Left Japan | December 6, 1928 |
| William Castle, Jr. | January 24, 1930 | Left Japan | May 27, 1930 |
| W. Cameron Forbes | September 15, 1930 | Left Japan | March 22, 1932 |
| Joseph Grew Joseph Grew Joseph Clark Grew was a United States diplomat and career foreign service officer. He was the chargé d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Vienna when Austria-Hungary severed diplomatic relations with the United States on April 9, 1917. Later he was the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark 1920–1921 and U.S.... |
June 14, 1932 | American declaration of war | December 8, 1941 |
| Robert D. Murphy | May 9, 1952 | Relinquished Charge | April 28, 1953 |
| John M. Allison | May 28, 1953 | Left Post | February 2, 1957 |
| Douglas MacArthur II Douglas MacArthur II Douglas MacArthur II was an American diplomat.MacArthur was the son of Captain Arthur MacArthur III and Mary McCalla MacArthur, and was named for his uncle, General Douglas MacArthur. He was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He married Laura Louise Barkley on August 21, 1934, the daughter of future... |
February 25, 1957 | Left Post | March 12, 1961 |
| Edwin Reischauer | April 27, 1961 | Left Post | August 19, 1966 |
| U. Alexis Johnson U. Alexis Johnson -Background:Ural Alexis Johnson was born in Falun, Kansas into a family of Swedish descent. His mother named him for the mountain range, of which she learned from a geography book. He had a rural upbringing and schooling until 1923, when the family moved to Glendale, California. He graduated... |
November 8, 1966 | Left Post | January 15, 1969 |
| Armin H. Meyer | July 3, 1969 | Left Post | March 27, 1972 |
| Robert Stephen Ingersoll | April 12, 1972 | Left Post | November 8, 1973 |
| James D. Hodgson James D. Hodgson James Day Hodgson is a former American politician.During World War II, Hodgson served as an officer in the United States Navy.... |
July 19, 1974 | Left Post | February 2, 1977 |
| Mike Mansfield Mike Mansfield Michael Joseph Mansfield was an American Democratic politician and the longest-serving Majority Leader of the United States Senate, serving from 1961 to 1977. He also served as United States Ambassador to Japan for over ten years... |
June 10, 1977 | Left Post | December 22, 1988 |
| Michael Armacost Michael Armacost Michael Hayden Armacost is a fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute. He previously was the president of the Brookings Institution from 1995-2002.-Diplomatic career:... |
May 15, 1989 | Left Post | July 19, 1993 |
| Walter Mondale Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota... |
September 21, 1993 | Left Post | December 15, 1996 |
| Thomas S. Foley | November 19, 1997 | Left Post | April 1, 2001 |
| Howard Henry Baker, Jr. | July 5, 2001 | Farewell address | February 17, 2005 |
| Tom Schieffer Tom Schieffer John Thomas Schieffer, known as Tom Schieffer , is an American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2005 to 2009 and as U.S. Ambassador to Australia from 2001 to 2005. Schieffer is a friend and former business partner of President George W. Bush. He is the younger brother of Bob... |
April 11, 2005 | Left Post | January 20, 2009 |
| John Roos John Roos John Victor Roos is the United States Ambassador to Japan. Before accepting the ambassadorship from President Barack Obama, Roos was the CEO of Silicon Valley-based law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.... |
August 20, 2009 |
See also
- Japan – United States relations
- Foreign relations of JapanForeign relations of JapanForeign relations of Japan is handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.Since the surrender after World War II and the Treaty of San Francisco, Japanese diplomatic policy has been based on close partnership with the United States and the emphasis on the international cooperation such as...
- Ambassadors of the United States