MANILA, Philippines – The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines announced on Friday the new Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines, as both countries mark a historic milestone in its bilateral relations this year.
In its official website, the Embassy of Japan announced KITAGAWA Katsuro as its Ambassador-designate to the Philippines.
In his message, Kitagawa said that it is his “great honor and privilege” to be appointed Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, during the time both countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines.
“Across a wide range of fields – including political and security partnership, economy and economic cooperation, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges – our bilateral relationship is showing unprecedented deepening and expansion,” Kitagawa said.
He also expressed determination to further advance bilateral cooperation “with renewed vigor” after Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. agreed during his state visit to Japan last May, to elevate the bilateral relationship to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
“I am delighted to serve as Ambassador at such a critical juncture and playing a role as a bridge between our two nations brings me immense joy, while filling me with a deep sense of responsibility,” Kitagawa mentioned.
He also expressed support and optimism on the steady progress made on shared challenges facing ASEAN and its partners, including Japan, during the Philippines’ Chairship of ASEAN this year.
“With the ASEAN-related Summits approaching in November, Japan intends to leverage our strong bilateral partnership to help generate concrete outcomes that contribute to the stability and prosperity of the region and the world,” Kitagawa stated.
The Ambassador-designate also underscored the people-to-people ties between the two countries, saying that it is “the unshakable foundation of Japan-Philippines relations.”
“The excellent relations we enjoy today are the culmination of heart-to-heart bonds nurtured over many decades, built upon the tireless efforts of our predecessors who overcame difficult times in the past to foster mutual understanding and trust, as well as the broad exchanges between our peoples,” he said.
“I will spare no effort to ensure that these people-to-people ties – the unshakable foundation of Japan-Philippines relations – further expand and are passed on dynamically to future generations,” he added.
According to Kitagawa, the Embassy of Japan, together with the Consulates General in Davao and Cebu, remain fully dedicated to supporting the Japanese community in the Philippines, ensuring the safety, security, health, and well-being of all Japanese nationals in the country; as well as to work hard to “propel Japan-Philippines relations to even greater heights.”
Ambassador-designate Kitagawa served as Director-General of the European Affairs Bureau and Assistant Minister of the Japan’s Ministry of Foreign of Affairs (MOFA) from 2024 to 2026; Director-General of Disarmament, Non-Proliferation, and Science Department in 2023; acted as Special Representative for the Western Balkans and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in 2022; and served at the Japanese Embassy in South Korea as Minister for Political Affairs until 2019.
