Mitoji Yabunaka

Mitoji Yabunaka (薮中 三十二, Yabunaka Mitoji, born January 23, 1948) is the current Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in charge of administration. Prior to his current position, Yabunaka served as Ministry of Foreign Affair's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director-General. He has been a diplomat for nearly forty years.

Diplomacy

Before entering government service, Yabunaka was a senior researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies from 1990-1991. Yabunaka became Consul General from Japan to the United States in 1998, and visited the country on several occasions.

Yabunaka has represented Japan on a number of occasions, and has negotiated trade deals with the United States, Australia, and Indonesia. He has had contact with a number of United States diplomats, including hosting current United States Ambassador to Japan John Roos shortly following Roos' appointment. During the first, second, and third rounds of the Six-party talks, Yabunaka represented Japan as chief delegate. The Japanese government also sent Yabanuka as a delegate to China to discuss issues of natural gas reserves under the East China Sea.