60th Anniversary Dinner
60th Anniversary Dinner Keynote Speaker Yoshio Matthew Nakamura
His excellency the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Yoshio Matthew Nakamura is Japan’s ambassador to the Holy See in Rome. The Holy See is the seat of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. Although it does not issue visas or have consulates, the Holy See has an Apostolic Nunciature in Tokyo which is a top-level diplomatic mission equivalent to an embassy. An ambassador is a minister of the highest rank sent to a foreign court to represent his sovereign or country there. He is a diplomat invested with the full power of independent action on behalf of his government.
While presenting his diplomatic credentials in 2016 to Pope Francis, Ambassador Nakamura gave the Pope binoculars “to see the lives of people in the periphery.” This is an area where Pope Francis says the church must pay more attention. It was a symbolic gift that was very well received.
Ambassador Nakamura holds a Masters degree in Economics from Keio University and a doctorate in Economics from Georgetown University, as a Fulbright Scholar. He has been an executive officer in the Department for Economic and Financial Affairs, Keidanren (1968); Secretary for Research at the Office of the President of Keidanren (1979); Researcher at the Japan Economic Institute of America in Washington, D.C. (1980); A professor at Boston College; Director at the Department for International Economic Affairs, Keidanren (1993); CEO, Keidanren (1995); Senior Managing Director, Keidanren(2001); Chief Executive, Keidanren (2005); Director General, Keidanren (2005) ; Chairman, Keizai Koho Center (2006); Vice Chairman, Keidanren (2010); Special Advisor to the Chairman, Keidanren (2014), and is Special Advisor to the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe (2014). Ambassador Yoshio Matthew Nakamura was born on November 18, 1942.
Keidanren or the Japan Business Federation is the most prominent economic organization in Japan with a membership comprised of 1,412 representative companies, 109 nationwide industrial associations and 47 regional economic organizations, as of April 1, 2019. Its mission is to draw upon corporations, individuals and local communities to support and sustain the development of the Japanese economy and improve the quality of life for the Japanese people. To achieve this purpose, it strives to achieve consensus in Japan’s business community on important domestic and international issues and, at the same time, communicate with a wide range of stakeholders including political leaders, administrators, labor unions and citizens.
Relations between the Holy See and Japan were informally established in 1919, when the Japanese government accepted a request by the Holy See to send an apostolic delegate to their country. It was not until 1942 that Japan began full diplomatic relations between the two states, making Japan the first Asian country to do so. In 1958 the Japanese mission to the Vatican in Rome was upgraded to an embassy. The decision was made by Emperor Showa during World War II, hoping that the Vatican could serve as a mediator for negotiations between Japan and the Allies.
Since the establishment of relations in 1942, several visits have been made by officials from both countries. In 1993 Emperor Akihito visited the Vatican, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014, and Prince Akishino in 2016. In November 2019, Pope Francis made an Apostolic Visit to Japan. There are about 1.3 billion people of the Catholic faith in the world
Japan has been a strong admirer of Vatican artistic treasures. Decades ago, Japanese television sponsored the restoration of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which was painted by Michelangelo. Today, the Holy See and Japan are engaged in close cultural cooperation. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties with the Holy See, Ambassador Nakamura staged a performance of ancient traditional Noh theatre in Rome.
Although Christianity in Japan is among the nation’s minority religions, the majority of Japanese couples, typically 60-70%, are wed in Christian ceremonies. This makes Christian weddings the most influential aspect of Christianity in contemporary Japan.
Ambassador Nakamura’s wife, Reiko Nakamura, is a lecturer at the University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo. He has two sons, one daughter, and four grandchildren.
