Tuesday, September 05, 2017, 14:30 - 16:00
"Working Behind the Scenes of Japan's Diplomacy"
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English
Former Foreign Ministry official Hitoshi Tanaka is well known on two fronts.
One is as former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, a position from which he retired in 2005 to become chairman of the Institute for International Strategy at the Japan Research Institute. He is also a senior fellow at the Japan Center for International Exchange. While with the Foreign Ministry, posts he held included Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau (2001–02) and the Economic Affairs Bureau (2000–01); Consul-General in San Francisco (1998–2000); and Deputy Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau (1996–98).
He has been described as a key player in shaping Japan's approach to East Asia and often appears in the media discussing such matters.
His other claim to fame was being appointed by former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to negotiate secretly with the North Korean government for a resolution of the abductee question and a normalization of relations. Both objectives seemed likely with Koizumi's historic visit to Pyongyang in 2002 when former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il promised to return the abductees. But the breakthrough in relations is yet to be materialized.
Hitoshi Tanaka holds a B.A. from Kyoto University and a B.A./M.A. in PPE from Oxford University. His latest publications include Nihon Gaiko no Chosen (Challenges for Japanese Diplomacy, Kadokawa, 2015). For more background on Hitoshi Tanaka and the extraordinary negotiations with North Korea, see: 'The Invitation-Only Zone: The True Story of North Korea's Abduction Project by Robert S. Boynton.
Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation.
Professional Activities Committee
