Biography of Mr. Takanori Kitamura

Mr. Kitamura was born in 1946. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1972 when he was doing his MA course in economics at Keio University. He had previously been awarded a BA by Nagasaki University. After joining the ministry, Mr. Kitamura spent two years learning Chinese at the Institute of Foreign Languages and Peking University in Beijing. In 1976, he obtained an MA from Harvard University.

Mr. Kitamura has served at regional desks (China and Eastern Europe), Economic Cooperation Bureau as well as the Protocol Office at the headquarters and was seconded to the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Institute of International Affairs.

He has also served overseas in China, Hong Kong, New York (United Nations), the Philippines and Greece. He was appointed Consul-General to Hong Kong in 2004 and assumed the current post of Ambassador to Greece in 2006.