Greetings to the citizens of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. My name is Kazuyuki Takeuchi (Kah-zuu-yuu-kee Tah-keh-oo-chee) and I am pleased to be the Consul General of Japan in Atlanta. I left my post as Deputy Head of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Vienna, Austria to come to Atlanta. I look forward to serving and working with you.

After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1985, I worked on economic and human rights issues across the Asian region. My duties also included promoting Japanese business interests at the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) as part of the Ministry of Justice Immigration Bureau. I have worked on foreign diplomatic missions in South America, Asia/Pacific, and Europe. This will be my first post in North America. I am glad that my first experience in the United States is in a location that is central to the Southeast and has such a strong connection with Japan.

Georgia is one of the largest business centers in the US with companies that are well known among Japanese people such as Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, UPS, Aflac, and more. In addition, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, helps maintain Atlanta’s position as a hub of logistics and transportation.

Georgia’s ties to Japan are strong. The state hosts a large number of Japanese companies and offers a direct flight to Japan via Delta Airlines. The 42nd Annual Southeast U.S.-Japan (SEUS-Japan) Conference – a gathering of state government officials and key figures from the Japan-US business sector – will be held in Savannah, Georgia, and signifies an environment that I foresee will promote further growth in Japan-US business partnerships.

My office is also proud to serve the States of Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina, all of which have equally strong ties to Japan. These four states together boast more than 1,000 Japan-affiliated businesses, over 20,000 Japanese nationals, and 20+ sister-city relationships. Even before arriving, I was impressed. This information greatly motivates to do my part, however small it may be, to further my country’s relationship with the Southeast.

It is the mission of the Consulate General to bring Japan and the areas over which it has jurisdiction together in all aspects. I will do my utmost to be a conduit for friendship, a pillar of support for economic relations, and a problem-solver as the new Consul General of Japan in Atlanta.

I look forward to working together with you all.