NEW JAPANESE AMBASSADOR: KEIJI OMORI

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000470 SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/B, EAP/J, NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2015 TAGS: PINR PREL JA MU SUBJECT: NEW JAPANESE AMBASSADOR: KEIJI OMORI Classified By: Ambassador Richard L. Baltimore III. Reason: 1.4 (b). ¶1. (C) Japan's newly arrived ambassador-designate to Oman, Keiji Omori, paid a courtesy call on the Ambassador on March ¶14. Omori's background is in military intelligence. Most recently serving as Director General of the Defense Facilities Administration Agency of the Japanese Defense Agency, he characterized himself as having been among the top 4-5 special advisers to current PM Koizumi. He was intimately involved in issues related to the Japan-US Defense Treaty, and was one of the architects of clearing legal hurdles that permitted the deployment of Japan's Self Defense Force to the Middle East. He previously attended a U.S. military training institute at Bolling AFB (note: possibly the Defense Intelligence University). ¶2. (SBU) Omori, age 62, is married with three adult daughters and several grandchildren. One of his daughters is struggling to pass the bar exam back in Japan. Omori's assignment in Oman is his first as a diplomat, and likewise marks his first time in the region. He fervently believes that the U.S. is Tokyo's most important bilateral relationship. He looks forward to visiting other states in the Middle East during his tenure in Muscat. He speaks English with a heavy accent. BALTIMORE