Press Conferences

Foreign Press Secretary KITAMURA Toshihiro: At the outset, I would like to make two announcements.

Today, April 1, marks the start of fiscal year 2026. We have welcomed 211 new officials to MOFA who will bear responsibility for shaping Japan’s future diplomacy. More than half of them are women.

MOFA seeks to recruit talented individuals with abundant experience and diverse backgrounds. Of these new officials, 51 were recruited through mid-career hiring and other recruitment channels. As I have mentioned at previous press conferences, MOFA conducts recruitment of fixed-term positions every two months, and as of today, April 1, more than 50 such positions are currently available. We welcome applications from many interested individuals.

We plan to hold multiple online briefing sessions to assist those considering applying. Please refer to the MOFA website for further details.

Press Secretary KITAMURA: The second announcement concerns the appointment of SAKANA-KUN as “Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Oceans and Fish.”

On April 1, MOFA appointed SAKANA-KUN, a Visiting Professor and Honorary Doctor at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, who is active in the fields of fishery resources and the oceans, as the “Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Oceans and Fish.” This marks the fifth consecutive year of his appointment since 2021.

Through this appointment, we hope that efforts to realize sustainable and thriving oceans will be further promoted by fostering a wider public understanding of the importance of maritime resources conservation and sustainable use, thereby contributing to the achievement of “SDGs Goal 14: Life Below Water.”