Message from Ambassador Shirakata
2023/4/14
I am the newly appointed Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan in Belize, Nobuyuki Shirakata.
I have spent most of my diplomatic career in Latin America. This will be my third assignment in "Central America", following Guatemala and Costa Rica, and will be my fifth assignment in country facing the Caribbean Sea including Venezuela and Colombia.
Coming to Belize for the first time, I am amazed by the enormous ethnic, cultural, and natural diversity, and I am greatly impressed by the country's history of democracy that has brought together diverse ethnic groups.
The Embassy of Japan in Belize is a relatively new embassy in its fourth year of operation. We aim to make the Embassy more active, and to promote exchanges between Japan and Belize in a wide range of fields. We also hope to continue to provide unswerving support and service to Japanese residents in Belize, as well as for Belizean seeking to visit Japan. We look forward to your continued support.
Brief Biography
Ambassador Shirakata was born in Okayama City, Japan in 1960. After graduating from Ritsumeikan University with a degree in Geography (Economic Geography) and working as a journalist for the Asahi Shimbun, he completed a Master's Degree in Latin American Studies (Political Science) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He later worked as an expert researcher at the Embassy of Japan in Venezuela, and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1999.
Ambassador Shirakata have worked in Venezuela, Colombia, Tokyo (Latin America Bureau, etc.), Portugal, Uruguay, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, and has been in his current position since March 2023. He is also a member of the Japan Association for Latin American Studies.
I have spent most of my diplomatic career in Latin America. This will be my third assignment in "Central America", following Guatemala and Costa Rica, and will be my fifth assignment in country facing the Caribbean Sea including Venezuela and Colombia.
Coming to Belize for the first time, I am amazed by the enormous ethnic, cultural, and natural diversity, and I am greatly impressed by the country's history of democracy that has brought together diverse ethnic groups.
The Embassy of Japan in Belize is a relatively new embassy in its fourth year of operation. We aim to make the Embassy more active, and to promote exchanges between Japan and Belize in a wide range of fields. We also hope to continue to provide unswerving support and service to Japanese residents in Belize, as well as for Belizean seeking to visit Japan. We look forward to your continued support.
April, 2023
Nobuyuki Shirakata
Ambassador, Embassy of Japan in Belize
Nobuyuki Shirakata
Ambassador, Embassy of Japan in Belize
Brief Biography
Ambassador Shirakata was born in Okayama City, Japan in 1960. After graduating from Ritsumeikan University with a degree in Geography (Economic Geography) and working as a journalist for the Asahi Shimbun, he completed a Master's Degree in Latin American Studies (Political Science) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He later worked as an expert researcher at the Embassy of Japan in Venezuela, and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1999.
Ambassador Shirakata have worked in Venezuela, Colombia, Tokyo (Latin America Bureau, etc.), Portugal, Uruguay, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, and has been in his current position since March 2023. He is also a member of the Japan Association for Latin American Studies.