Luncheon - September: Speaker Consul General Kato

Date: 9/9/2014
Time: 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM

Bluegrass Yacht & Country Club
550 Johnny Cash Pkwy
Hendersonville, TN 37075

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Event Description: Consul-General Motohiko Kato arrived in Nashville in October of 2012 by way of Manila, where he most recently served as Deputy Chief of Mission of the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines. A career diplomat, he entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 1982 after passing Japan’s foreign service examination. His three-decade career has taken him all over the world, including posts in Singapore, Iran, and Paris. Consul-General Kato has served as director of several MOFA divisions in Tokyo; among them are the Nuclear Energy Division, where he handled nuclear non-proliferation policy and nuclear safety, and the Second International Organization Division, where he oversaw international business transactions and free trade agreements. He also served as Director of the International Cooperation Division at the National Institute for Research Advancement, a prestigious government think tank. Consul-General Kato eagerly anticipated returning to the United States after having several wonderful experiences in this country. As a young diplomat, he studied English at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. In 2004, he became Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Afghanistan; for over a year-and-a-half, he worked closely with his American counterparts on various reconstruction efforts for the Afghan people. He was grateful for the support and kindness of his American colleagues, who formed the core of a small but productive international community in that country. In 2007, Consul-General Kato returned to the States to serve as Head of Chancery at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC. The Consulate-General of Japan at Nashville covers Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Consul-General Kato’s primary mission is to care for Japanese citizens and their families residing in the Southeast, protect the interests of Japanese companies, and promote Japanese culture and business throughout these five states.


Directions:

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