Protected: Amb. Takeshi Akahori

Ambassador Takeshi Akahori is Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. He serves as Japan’s Sherpa to G7 and G20.

Takeshi joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1989 upon graduation from the University of Tokyo Law School. He graduated from the French Ecole nationale d’administration (ENA) in 1991, and also studied at the international relations graduate course (DHEI) of the French Insitut national de Langues et de Civilizations orientales before serving in the Embassy in Paris from 1992.

In Tokyo, he worked on Southeast Asian affairs, UN policy, management, international law, and North American affairs. He served as Counsellor at the Embassy in Washington, D.C. from 2004 to 2007. At the director level, he worked on Japan-Korea economic affairs, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and cultural diplomacy. After serving as Executive Assistant to the Foreign Minister, he served as Director for Treaties from 2012 to 2015. He was deeply involved in Japan’s new defense legislation and revision of the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Security Cooperation. He then served as Political Minister of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN and led the Security Council team during Japan’s eleventh term (2016-17). He was responsible for the organization of the G20 Osaka Summit as Secretary-General (Ambassador).

From July 2019, he served as Deputy Assistant Minister for Foreign Policy and concurrently as Ambassador for International Security, UN Affairs, and Cyber Policy. He was a member of the Sixth UN Group of Governmental Experts on cybersecurity appointed by the UN Secretary-General. From August 2021, he led the Japanese delegation to UNFCCC COP26 as Ambassador for Climate Change Negotiations. From January 2022 to July 2024, he served as Ambassador, Assistant Minister (Director-General) for Global Issues.

During that period, he served as a member of the Gavi Board. He was appointed to his present position in July 2024. He wrote a book titled, Basics on Cybersecurity and International Law (Toshindo, September 2023. In Japanese). His articles include, On Cybersecurity and International Law, The Journal of International Law and Diplomacy, Vol. 120 No.4 (January 2022) published by the Japanese Society of International Law; Economic Security Policy to Maximize National Interest, Gaiko (Diplomacy), volume 66 (March 2021); Proactive Climate Change Diplomacy, Monthly Keidanren, August 2022 volume; Countering Plastic Pollution: Japan’s Efforts for a Legal Instrument, Gaiko (Diplomacy), volume 76 (December 2022); COVID-19 Diplomacy and Post Pandemic Global Health Diplomatic Strategy, Gaiko (Diplomacy), volume 83 (January 2024); Need to improve oxygen access has not ended with the pandemic, (with P. Duneton and P. Amoth), Nikkei Asia, February 2, 2024.

He was a guest speaker to a podcast episode on Cyber Rule Making and Implementation, Inside Cyber Diplomacy (Center for Strategic and International Studies Podcast, 2021).

He speaks Japanese, French, English and understands Spanish.