Ministry of Foreign Afairs

Abstract

Since Japan regained diplomatic autonomy in 1951, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has developed its organization in line with the expansion of the country’s external relations. In particular, the diplomatic failure of the Gulf War in 1990 and a series of scandals in 2001 forced the ministry to reform its structure and organizational culture to respond actively and swiftly to the surge of diplomatic challenges faced by the international community. Even after the reforms, the ministry has continued to reform its organization in response to new challenges, such as peacebuilding, terrorism, disarmament, and non-proliferation, women’s empowerment, disaster risk reduction, global health, and environmental and climate change.