Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TOKYO1724
2008-06-24 00:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

NEW MOFA APEC SENIOR OFFICIAL

Tags:  ETRD APECO PREL JA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1495
PP RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #1724 1760053
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 240053Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5333
INFO RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001724 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP AMBASSADOR HASLACH
DEPT ALSO FOR E, EAP/EP AND EAP/J
PASS USTR FOR CUTLER/MEYERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2013
TAGS: ETRD APECO PREL JA
SUBJECT: NEW MOFA APEC SENIOR OFFICIAL

REF: TOKYO 1708

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer, Reason 1.4 (b)(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001724

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP AMBASSADOR HASLACH
DEPT ALSO FOR E, EAP/EP AND EAP/J
PASS USTR FOR CUTLER/MEYERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2013
TAGS: ETRD APECO PREL JA
SUBJECT: NEW MOFA APEC SENIOR OFFICIAL

REF: TOKYO 1708

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer, Reason 1.4 (b)(d)


1. (SBU) Japanese Foreign Ministry Senior Official Masashi
Mizukami relinquished his APEC duties as of June 1, and took
the opportunity of a June 18 meeting with EMIN (reftel) to
introduce his successor, Kenji Hiramatsu, Deputy Director
General of MOFA's Economic Affairs Bureau. Hiramatsu told
Emboffs he is still familiarizing himself with the myriad of
APEC issues, but is also committed to working closely with
his U.S. counterparts over the next three years.


2. (C) Hiramatsu's recent career has included some
controversy. As director of MOFA's Northeast Asia division
from 2001-2002, he was deeply involved in the preparations
for the 2002 Japan-DPRK summit meeting between former Prime
Minister Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Subsequently, however, he was sharply criticized by the
families of Japanese abductees for taking an insufficiently
hardline toward the DPRK on the abduction issues. He took a
leave of absence from MOFA in early 2003 to assume a
short-term fellowship at Harvard University.


3. (U) Hiramatsu's official MOFA bio:

Kenji Hiramatsu
Deputy Director General, Economic Affairs Bureau
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

DOB: December 22, 1956

March 1979 Graduated University of Kyoto
Faculty of Law

April 1979 Joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

July 1986 Deputy Director, Research and Programming
Division, Economic Cooperation Bureau

September 1988 Deputy Director, Personnel Division

December 1990 First Secretary, Delegation of Japan to the
OECD

August 1994 Principal Deputy Director
Policy Coordination Division

April 1995 Coordinator, Policy Coordination Division

July 1996 Director, Second Southeast Asia Division

April 1998 Director, National Security Policy Division
Counsellor, Cabinet Secretariat, National
Security Affairs and Crisis Management

October 1999 Private Secretary to the Foreign Minister

April 2001 Director, Northeast Asia Division

July 2003 Minister, Embassy of Japan, Washington

June 2004 Minister and Consul General
Embassy of Japan, London

May 2008 Deputy Director General
Economic Affairs Bureau
APEC Senior Official
SCHIEFFER