Ambassadors

• Ambassador of the United Mexican States H.E. Ms. Melba Pría

  

  Previously, she served as Ambassador of Mexico to India (2015-2019) and Indonesia (2007-2015), strengthening Mexico's diplomatic presence in Asia.
  She has over 40 years of experience in the public and private sectors in Mexico. Her work has focused on political and development objectives addressing key issues such as poverty, identity, tolerance, and supporting marginalized and ethnically diverse communities. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has worked in areas that promote the inclusion of various actors in international affairs, the development of the Ministry's relationship with civil society both nationally and internationally, and the protection of the rights of the Mexican diaspora in host countries.
  Committed to gender equity, diversity, and inclusion, she has mentored future generations of public servants and business leaders, fostering these values in their development.
  Melba Pría was born in Mexico City. She holds a degree in Sociology and two master’s degrees in Public Policy and International Studies, as well as a postgraduate degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. She has studied both in Mexico and abroad.
  She is the author of several books and publications on diversity and public policy.

• Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria H.E.Ms. Marieta Arabadjieva

  

  【Work History】

   

  2001

  Joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2001-04

  Attache, Embassy of Bulgaria in Tokyo

  2004-06

  Third Secretary and Officer for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia, Australia and Oceania Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2006-08

  Second Secretary and Head of Political Section, Embassy of Bulgaria in Tokyo

  2011-13

  First Secretary, Head of Political Section, and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Bulgaria in Beijing

  December 2011-May 2012

  Charge d'Affaires a.i., Embassy of Bulgaria in Beijing

  2014-16

  First Secretary and Head of the China Section, Asia, Australia and Oceania Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2016-August 2020

  Deputy Chief of Mission, Head of Political Section, and Counsellor, Embassy of Bulgaria in Tokyo

  September 2020-21

  Counsellor, Asia, Australia and Oceania Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  April 2021

  Ambassador

• Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia H.E. Ms. Aleksandra KOVAČ

  

  【Work History】

   

  2002-03

  Trainee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2003-04

  Attache, Diplomatic Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2004

  Attache (for General Affairs), Embassy of Serbia in London

  2005

  Third Secretary, Directorate for Asia, Australia and Pacific, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2006-11

  Third Secretary (for Consular and Cultural Affairs), Embassy of Serbia in Tokyo

  2011-12

  Counsellor, State Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2012-13

  First Counsellor, Cabinet of Minister of Foreign Affairs

  2013-14

  Director of Diplomatic Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2014-18

  Minister-Counsellor, Permanent Delegation to UNESCO

  2018-21

  Secretary General of the Commission of the Republic of Serbia for Cooperation with UNESCO and Head of UNESCO Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  August 2021

  Ambassador

• Ambassador of the Republic of Uganda H.E. Ms. KAAHWA Tophace

  

  【Work History】
  
  Parliament of Uganda May 2016 to May 2021 Woman Member of Parliament Hoima District
  Parliament of Uganda May 2011 to May 2016 Woman Member of Parliament Hoima District
  Buleera Core Primary Teachers College 21/8/2006 to 1/7/2010 Tutor/Acting Deputy Principle

• Ambassador of Norway H.E. Ms. Kristin IGLUM

  

  【Education History】

   

  1984 - 1988

  BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo Norway
  Degree: Master of Business

  1988 - 1989

  Universität Konstanz, Germany
  Licentiatstudium

  
  

  【Work History】

   

  1990 – 1991

  Adviser – Section for Oil, Ministry of Oil and Energy

  1991 – 1993

  Foreign Service Trainee - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  1993 – 1996

  Embassy Secretary – Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beijing

  1996 – 1999

  Embassy Secretary – Royal Norwegian Embassy in Prague

  2000 – 2003

  Adviser – European Section, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2003 – 2005

  Head of Unit – Personnel Section, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  2005 – 2009

  Deputy Consul General – Norwegian Consulate General New York

  2009 – 2011

  Senior Adviser – Section for East - Asia and Oceania, MFA

  2011 – 2012

  Assistant Director – Recruitment Section, MFA

  2012 – 2014

  Counsellor – Norwegian Embassy in Beijing

  2014 – 2017

  Minister Counsellor/DHoM – Norwegian Embassy in Beijing

  2017 – 2020

  Consul General – Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai

  2020 – 2023

  Director, Section for Human Resources, Human and Financial Resources Department, MFA

  2023.10 -

  Ambassador of Norway to Japan

• Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda H.E. Ms. Mukasine Marie Claire

  

  Ms. Mukasine Marie Claire, is the Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to Japan. With a distinguished career spanning four decades across civil society, public service, and the private sector. Ms. Mukasine’s journey encompasses pivotal positions of leadership. She has served as a Judge, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion and the Ministry of Infrastructure. She also served as a Senator in the Parliament of Rwanda and the President of the National Commission for Human Rights. In the private sector, she was Director General of SONARWA, a National Insurance Company in Rwanda and the Director General of the Rwanda Investment Group. She comes with a vast experience and profound insights poised to further enhance bilateral relations and promote Rwanda's interests on the global stage.

• Ambassador of the Burkina Faso H.E.Mrs. Bibata NEBIE/OUEDRAOGO

  

  [PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE]

  November 2024

  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Burkina Faso to Japan

  June 2023 to July 2024

  Magistrate in the Central Administration of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, in charge of Relations with Institutions

  October 2022-June 2023

  Minister of Justice and Human Rights, in charge of Relations with Institutions, Keeper of the Seals

  April 2022

  Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in charge of Relations with Institutions

  October 2021

  Advisor to the Court of Auditors (Burkina Faso)

  2017-2021

  President of the Chamber at the Court of Appeal of Ouagadougou

  February 2015 to June 2017

  Chief of Staff of the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Civic Promotion, Keeper of the Seals

  2013 to February 2015

  President of the Children's Court of Ouagadougou, cumulatively Advisor to the Court of Appeal of Ouagadougou

  
  

  
  [PUBLICATIONS]

  Précis de Droit judiciaire privé, Ouagadougou, Nouvelles éditions Burkinabè, 3rd ed., 2024

  
  

  [DECORATION]

  Officer of the “Ordre de l’Etalon”
  Knight of the Order of Merit, Justice and Human Rights, Human Rights Clasp

• Ambassador of the Republic of Costa Rica H.E.Ms. Sussi Jiménez Núñez

  

  Ms. Sussi Jiménez Núñez is the Ambassador of the Republic of Costa Rica to Japan. She has over 24 years experience in the diplomatic service. She is an Internationalist and holds a master’s degree in Central American Integration and Development. She has served at the Foreign Policy Directorate (2001-2003). From 2004 to 2010, as Consul of Costa Rica in Miami, Florida, United States of America. In July 2010, she was appointed as Chief of Staff to the administrative Vice Minister (2010-2011), Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Costa Rica in El Salvador (2012-2016), and Chief of Regional and Hemispheric Organizations in the Foreign Policy Directorate from September 2016 to January 2018. From January 2018 to March 2021, she served as Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Costa Rica in Chile. From April 2021 to April 2022, she served as advisor to the Director General of Foreign Policy, and from May 2022 to December 2024, she worked as Chief of Staff to the Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs.

• Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany H.E. Ms. Petra SIGMUND

  

  [PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE]

  Since 08/2024

  Ambassador to Japan

  2019 – 2024

  Federal Foreign Office Berlin: Head of the Asia and Pacific Department

  2017 – 2019

  Federal Foreign Office Berlin: Commissioner for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific

  2015 – 2017

  Federal Foreign Office Berlin: Head of the Division for China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Mongolia

  2013 – 2015

  Federal Foreign Office Berlin: Head of the Division for France and the Benelux countries

  2010 – 2013

  Embassy Paris: Spokesperson and Head of the Press and Public Relations Department

  2006 – 2010

  Federal Chancellery: Head of the Division for European Policy Relations with EU Member States, EU Enlargement Policy, EU External Relations, Council of Europe

  2004 – 2006

  Embassy Beijing: Head of the Trade Promotion Office

  2001 – 2004

  Federal Foreign Office Berlin (Turkey/Cyprus Division)

  1998 – 2001

  Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU in Brussels

  1996 – 1998

  Federal Foreign Office Bonn (Press Department)

  1994 – 1996

  Entry into the Foreign Service in Bonn / Preparatory service for the Higher Foreign Service

  1985 – 1994

  Studied Sinology, Political Science and Economics at the University of Heidelberg, the Free University of Berlin and the Renmin University in Beijing

  1985

  General University Entrance Qualification

• Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia H.E.Ms. Monika Simonyan

  

  Since April 11, 2025 - Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Japan
  
  October 2023 - April 2025
  Permanent Representation of Armenia to the Council of Europe
  Deputy Permanent Representative
  
  July 2021 - October 2023
  Department of Eurasian region
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
  Head of the Eurasian Economic Union division
  
  February 2019 – July 2021
  Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Sweden (accredited in Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland)
  First Secretary, political/economic section
  
  December 2017 - February 2019
  Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Denmark (accredited in Norway)
  Second Secretary, political/economic section and consular affairs
  
  July 2016 - December 2017
  CIS Department
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
  Third Secretary, later Second Secretary of CIS Region Structures Division
  
  November 2012 - May 2016
  Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Japan (accredited in South Korea)
  Third Secretary, political/economic section and consular affairs
  
  June 2012 - November 2012
  Asia-Pacific and Africa Department
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
  Attache՛
  
  November 2010 - June 2012
  Press, Information and Public Relations Department
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
  Attache՛
  
  March 2005 - November 2010
  Press, Information and Public Relations Department
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
  Referent

Moderator

• Executive Officer and Web Editor-in-Chief, Forbes JAPAN Yuka Tanimoto

  

  Topic: Changing Mindsets and Systems: Creating a Workplace Where Men and Women Can Be Themselves
  
  Tanimoto began her career at a securities firm and as a financial anchor on Bloomberg TV before earning an MBA in the U.S. She later became a newscaster and the first female commentator at Nikkei CNBC. Throughout her career, she has interviewed over 4,000 VIPs, including Taiwan’s Digital Minister Audrey Tang, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
  She also serves as a Research Fellow and Advisory Board Member at the Institute of 21st Century Social Design, Rikkyo University Graduate School. Since January 1, 2022, Tanimoto has held her current position at Forbes.

• Head of Product Development, GE Healthcare Japan Corporation Naoko Kudo

  

  Topic: Encounters and Learning to Unlock Women’s Potential: Model Cases and Support Methods
  
  After graduating from the Department of Applied Physics at Tokyo University of Science, Kudo joined GE Healthcare Japan in 1991, inspired by the potential of diagnostic imaging.
  Since 2012, she has led the Japan division of global development for general-purpose ultrasound systems. She emphasizes cross-cultural communication and has dedicated herself to building teams that support engineer development and growth. In recent years, Kudo has focused on supporting next-generation leaders and women’s career advancement, providing bilingual (Japanese-English) mentoring and coaching.
  Her life’s work is to help individuals discover and leverage their unique strengths. She is a BCMA-certified career mentor, a Gallup-certified strengths coach, and an official mentor with Mentor For.

• President & CEO, Surpass Inc. Ryoko Ishihara

  

  Topic: Evolving Career Paths: Support for Unlocking Potential through Reskilling, Side Jobs, and Entrepreneurship
  
  Ishihara began her career in 2000 at a major life insurance company, where she quickly became a top sales performer at her branch. She has since built a strong track record across more than 100 industries, ranging from publicly listed corporations to startups.
  In 2008, she founded Surpass Inc., pioneering a women-led sales outsourcing model focused on building long-term customer value (LTV) through lasting trust and consistent revenue generation.
  In 2021, drawing on her expertise in sales DX and female talent development, Ishihara signed partnership agreements with Tokushima City and Sanuki City to help address gender disparities. In September of the same year, she launched the Women’s Empowerment Promotion Institute.
  In 2024, Surpass formed a capital and business alliance with Tanabe Consulting Group. The company has earned several awards for promoting women’s advancement, including the Forbes JAPAN WOMEN AWARD. Ishihara also actively supports education and entrepreneurship as a board member of Jissen Women’s University and director of EO Beyond Japan Accelerator.

• COO & Director, Mentor For Inc. Momoko Miyamoto

  

  Topic: Building the Future of Management Through Dialogue and Empathy: Addressing Health Challenges Together
  
  Miyamoto graduated from Nihon University College of Art. She began her career at Tohokushinsha Film Corporation, then joined Yahoo Japan, where she held roles in sales, business operations, and later served as Head of Sales Planning.
  After serving as an executive officer at a startup, she joined Kaonavi Inc. as Executive Officer and Head of Customer Engagement, where she contributed to the company’s listing on the MOTHERS market. In 2023, she co-founded TanoBa LLC.
  Since April 2021, Miyamoto has served as COO of Mentor For Inc., supporting DE&I initiatives across various organizations. As an official mentor at Mentor For, she has provided guidance to a wide range of women leaders and executives across industries. She is also an experienced trainer and facilitator in leadership and mentoring skills for managers.

• President & CEO, Will Lab Inc. Miwa Koyasu

  

  Topic: Creating Cities Where Women Want to Live and Work: Building and Nurturing Communities
  
  After graduating from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies in 1995, Koyasu worked at Nikkei Inc. and other organizations before joining Recruit in 2005. She was appointed Executive Officer at Recruit Jobs in 2013.
  In 2017, she founded Will Lab Inc., where she collaborates with local governments and companies in cities such as Toyooka City, Hyogo; Nanto City, Toyama; and Kesennuma City, Miyagi, to address gender gaps in workplaces and communities. Her work focuses on research, policy advising, and leadership development.
  Koyasu serves on the Cabinet Secretariat’s Council for Regional Workstyle and Workplace Reform. She is also a frequent media commentator, appearing on NHK programs including Asaichi, Sunday Debate, and Close-up Gendai.
  She is the co-author of ""Outmigration of Youth and Women: Organizational Reform in a Small Municipality of 74,000 People"" (Japan Productivity Center).

Women Chiefs