| Ken'ichirō Sasae | |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Ambassador From: | Japanese |
| Country: | the United States |
| Term Start: | 2012 |
| Term End: | 2018 |
| Predecessor: | Ichirō Fujisaki |
| Successor: | Shinsuke J. Sugiyama |
| Birth Date: | 25 September 1951 |
| Birth Place: | Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan |
| Nationality: | Japanese |
| Alma Mater: | University of Tokyo (B.L. in 1974) |
| Profession: | Diplomat |
is a retired Japanese diplomat who served as Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2010 - 2012 and Japan's ambassador to the United States from 2012 - 2018.[1] He is currently President of the Japan Institute of International Affairs.[2]
Sasae joined the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 1974 and served in a number of key diplomatic positions dealing with Japan's foreign policy toward Asia, including as Director of the Northeast Asia Division and Director-General of the Asian and Oceania Affairs Bureau.[3] He served as the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs from August 2010 until his appointment as Japanese ambassador to the United States in September 2012.
Sasae served as Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was representative of Japan during the six-party talks to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program.[4] [5] [6] On 19 August 2012, as Vice Foreign Minister, Sasae stated that the protests made by China are "unacceptable" and voiced regret over anti-Japanese protests in China.[7] [8]
after=Shinsuke Sugiyama