Takakazu Kuriyama

Japanese ambassador (1931-2015)

Takakazu Kuriyama (Japanese: 栗山尚一; died 1 April 2015) was a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to Malaysia and the United States.

Kuriyama was born in Tokyo.^[1] His father, Kuriyama Shigeru, was a diplomat and judge in the Supreme Court of Japan.^[2]

He attended the University of Tokyo.^[1]

Diplomatic career

Kuriyama joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1954.^[1] He was involved in the negotiations that led to the 1971 Okinawa Reversion Agreement, which returned the Okinawa Prefecture to Japan from the United States. The next year, he helped draft a statement on normalising diplomacy with China.^[1]

He held the position of Director General of the North American Affairs Bureau.^[1] He served as ambassador to Malaysia from 1985 to 1987.^[3] He was appointed Vice Minister in May 1989.^[2] In 1992, he became ambassador to the United States.^[1] He left the position in 1995.

Personal life

His wife, Masako, was the daughter of a Japanese Supreme Court judge.^[4]

He died on 1 April 2015 in a Tokyo hospital, after suffering from pneumonia.^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Takakazu Kuriyama, former ambassador to U.S., dies at 83". The Japan Times. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
1 2 Jameson, Sam (28 October 1990). "Takakazu Kuriyama : Overcoming Japan's Past to Get On With Its Future". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
↑ Sanger, David E. (5 December 1991). "Power of the Yen Winning Asia New 'Co-Prosperity' Is Displacing U.S." archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
↑ Weinraub, Judith; Togo, Shigehiko (12 February 1994). "Japan's Informal Ambassador". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 December 2019.