My name is YONETANI Koji, the newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN. It is a great honor to serve in this role, and I sincerely appreciate your support. Today, 25 November 2025, I presented my letter of credence to Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, and officially commenced my duties.
 
Nearly twenty years ago, I had the opportunity to serve at the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia, and I am delighted to once again be engaged in Southeast Asia. Upon returning to Jakarta, I was deeply impressed by the remarkable progress made over the past two decades. Not only Indonesia, but the entire ASEAN region has gained global recognition as an “open epicentrum of growth.” For more than fifty years, Japan and ASEAN have fostered a heart-to-heart relationship built on mutual trust, and we have advanced concrete cooperation across a wide range of fields for regional peace, stability, and prosperity. Building upon this strong partnership carefully cultivated by our predecessors, I am determined to further enhance ASEAN-Japan cooperation.
 
To begin with, while fully supporting ASEAN’s centrality and unity, we will steadily implement the Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation–Trusted Partners–and its Implementation Plan, which were adopted at the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in December 2023.
 
Furthermore, at the 28th ASEAN-Japan Summit held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025, prior to my arrival, Japan and ASEAN issued the Joint Statement on Further Promotion and Implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), which shares fundamental principles with Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision. In addition to launching Japan-ASEAN Co-creation Initiative for Artificial Intelligence (AI), a new Working Group to strengthen ASEAN-Japan economic relations was also formed. By expanding the frontier of ASEAN-Japan cooperation in response to accelerating change, we will work together to become stronger and more prosperous, contributing to peace and stability in the region and beyond.
 
To advance these goals, I will place great priority on dialogue and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across Japan and ASEAN, building upon our longstanding foundation of mutual trust.
 
Last but not least, the success of ASEAN-Japan cooperation depends not only on the support of ASEAN colleagues, but also on the understanding and engagement of the Japanese communities both in Japan and throughout the ASEAN region. I sincerely ask for your collaboration and look forward to working together with all who are committed to the continued advancement of ASEAN-Japan cooperation.
 

April 1989	Entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
July 2004	Posted at the Embassy in Indonesia
January 2006	Counsellor for Economic Affairs and Cooperation, Embassy in Indonesia
July 2006	Economic Counsellor, Embassy in France
July 2009 - August 2013	Served successively as Director for Intellectual Property, for Cultural Exchange, and for Public Diplomacy Strategy
August 2013	Director for Development Finance, International Bureau, Ministry of Finance
October 2015	Vice President, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
October 2017	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Djibouti
November 2020	Deputy Director-General for Global Issues
January 2021	Assistant Minister, Director-General of African Department
July 2021	(Concurrently) Secretary-General for TICAD 8
October 2022	Fellow, Institute for Global Environmental Strategy (IGES)
October 2023	Director-General, Refugee Assistance Headquarters
April 2025	Ambassador, Secretariat for TICAD, African Affairs Department
October 2025	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to ASEAN