Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japanese外务 省, Gaimu - shō, dt " Ministry of Foreign Affairs ," engl. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MOFA short ) is one of the ministries of the Japanese government, responsible for the foreign policy of Japan.

The Gaimu - shō originated in the modernization of the Japanese government in 1885 and is headed by a minister since (大臣, daijin ). The current Minister for Foreign Affairs since December 2012 Fumio Kishida.

There are five regional divisions in Gaimu - shō: Asia and Oceania, North America, Latin America and Caribbean, Europe, Near / Middle East and Africa. These departments are headed by a Director General and are divided into further regional divisions and a separate department for the security treaty with the U.S., which plays a central role in Japan's alliance policy.

External Action Service

The career in the Foreign Service in Japan since the Meiji era, a career that is associated with high social prestige. Many diplomats were graduates of Tokyo Imperial University and now the University of Tokyo.