Japan’s Experience of Reconstruction after World War II

MERI is hosting a seminar for Mr. Yukio Okamoto, a career diplomat, economic policy expert, senior advisor to the Japanese Government and Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow, MIT Center for International Studies,

Date: Tuesday July 7, 2015

Time: 3:00 pm.

Title of seminar: Japan’s Experience of Reconstruction After World War II.

This event is for members only and by invitation, with 30 seats available. The seats will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Members interested in attending the event should email: events@meri-k.org.

Mr. Yukio Okamoto’s Biography

From 1968 to 1991 Mr. Okamoto was a career diplomat in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His overseas postings included stints in Paris at the OECD and in the embassies in Cairo and Washington. He retired from the Ministry in 1991 and established Okamoto Associates Inc., a political and economic consultancy.

Post-retirement, Mr. Okamoto has served in a number of advisory positions. From 1996 to 1998, he was Special Advisor to Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto. From October 2001 to March 2003, he was Special Advisor to the Cabinet. From March 2003 to March 2004, he was Special Advisor on Iraq to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Concurrent with the above last two posts he was Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Foreign Relations. Until September of 2008 he was a member of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s Study Group on Diplomacy.

Well-versed in economic and government policy debates, Mr. Okamoto is a familiar figure both within Japan and within the U.S. government. He is a frequent contributor to leading Japanese newspapers and magazines and is an often quoted source for U.S. media. Mr. Okamoto is an adjunct professor of international relations.