The United States Ambassador to Japan (Japanese: 日本駐箚アメリカ合衆国大使) 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.
The previous ambassador to Japan was Tom Schieffer who was nominated by President George W. Bush on January 21, 2005, and confirmed by the Senate on March 17, 2005. Schieffer presented his credentials to Akihito, Emperor of Japan, on April 11, 2005. He departed post on January 20, 2009. His predecessor was Howard Baker who announced his intention to retire in December 2004. In recent years, the post has been held by many significant American politicians, including Mike Mansfield, Walter Mondale, Tom Foley and Howard Baker.
Deputy Chief of Mission James P. Zumwalt is currently the chargé d’affaires until a new ambassador is named and presents his or her credentials to the Emperor.
On May 21st, 2009, Asahi Shimbun reported that President Barack Obama will name John Roos, the chief executive officer of Palo Alto-based law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, as the next ambassador to Japan.[1]
List of chiefs of mission
The following is a list of chiefs of mission.
- Townsend Harris (Presented credentials, November 5, 1859-Presented recall, April 26, 1862)
- Robert Pruyn (Presented credentials, May 17, 1862-Left Japan, April 28, 1865)
- Chauncey Depew (commissioned during a recess of Senate; declined appointment)
- Robert Van Valkenburgh (Presented credentials, May 4, 1867-Presented recall, November 11, 1869)
- Charles De Long (Presented credentials, November 11, 1869-promoted to Envoy)
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
| Name | Presented credentials | End of term | End of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles De Long | June 9, 1872 | Farewell address | October 7, 1873 |
| John Bingham | October 7, 1873 | Presented recall | July 2, 1885 |
| Richard B. Hubbard | July 2, 1885 | Presented recall | May 15, 1889 |
| John Franklin Swift | May 15, 1889 | Died at post | March 10, 1891 |
| Frank Coombs | June 13, 1892 | Presented recall | July 14, 1893 |
| Edwin Dun | July 14, 1893 | Presented recall | July 2, 1897 |
| Alfred Buck | June 3, 1898 | Died at post | December 4, 1902 |
| Lloyd Carpenter Griscom | June 22, 1903 | Left Japan | November 19, 1905 |
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
| Name | Presented credentials | End of term | End of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke E. Wright | May 26, 1906 | Left Japan | August 13, 1907 |
| Thomas O'Brian | October 15, 1907 | Left Post | August 31, 1911 |
| Charles Page Bryan | November 22, 1911 | Left Post | October 1, 1912 |
| Larz Anderson | February 1, 1913 | Left Japan | March 15, 1913 |
| George Guthrie | August 7, 1913 | Died at post | March 8, 1917 |
| Roland Morris | October 30, 1917 | Left Japan | May 15, 1920 |
| Charles B. Warren | September 24, 1921 | Left Japan | January 28, 1922 |
| Cyrus Woods | July 21, 1923 | Left Japan | June 5, 1924 |
| Edgar Bancroft | November 19, 1924 | Died at post | July 27, 1925 |
| Charles MacVeagh | 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 | 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 | February 25, 1957 | Left Post | March 12, 1961 |
| Edwin Reischauer | April 27, 1961 | Left Post | August 19, 1966 |
| U. Alexis Johnson | 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 | July 19, 1974 | Left Post | February 2, 1977 |
| Mike Mansfield | June 10, 1977 | Left Post | December 22, 1988 |
| Michael Armacost | May 15, 1989 | Left Post | July 19, 1993 |
| Walter Mondale | September 21, 1993 | Left Post | December 15, 1996 |
| Thomas S. Foley | November 19, 1998 | Left Post | April 1, 2001 |
| Howard Henry Baker, Jr. | July 5, 2001 | Farewell address | February 17, 2005 |
| Tom Schieffer | April 11, 2005 | Left Post | January 20, 2009 |
| John Roos | August 20, 2009 |
Notes
- ^ Kato, Yoichi (2009-05-21). "Lawyer Picked As Top U.S. Envoy". Asahi Shimbun. http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200905210065.html. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
References
- U.S. Embassy, Tokyo
- U.S. Dep’t of State: Chiefs of Mission, Japan
- U.S. Dep’t of State: Key officers list: Japan
- U.S. Department of State
- U.S. ambassador a role most vital
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