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Japanese Nobel Laureates Japan's New Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara

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Japanese Nobel Laureates Japan's New Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara Japan’s New Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara On Friday 17 September, Mr Seiji Maehara was appointed as Japan‟s new foreign minister as part of Prime Minister Naoto Kan‟s cabinet reshuffle. Mr Kan had been re-elected as President of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) earlier in the week on Tuesday 14 September. Foreign Minister Maehara is a law graduate who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993, representing a district of his hometown, Kyoto. He has previously been president and vice president of the DPJ and before being appointed as foreign minister, he was Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs. For the Reshuffled Kan Cabinet, see: ww.kantei.go.jp/foreign/kan/meibo/daijin/index_e.html Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara For a profile of the Foreign Minister, see: www.mofa.go.jp/about/hq/profile/maehara.html Japanese Prime Minister Prime Minister Naoto Japanese Nobel speaks for peace at the Kan announces Laureates 65th commemoration of concrete contributions Two Japanese scientists, Nagasaki and Hiroshima in four areas at the Professors Eiichi Negishi and UN General Assembly Akira Suzuki, were jointly awarded At this year‟s Hiroshima Peace Memorial the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2010 Ceremony (6 August) and Nagasaki At the General Debate of the 65th which they share with the American Peace Ceremony (9 August), Prime session of the United Nations scientist Professor Richard F. Heck. Minister Naoto Kan reaffirmed his General Assembly, Prime Minister government‟s determination to work Naoto Kan announced Japan‟s The three scientists were awarded towards a world without nuclear intention to make concrete the prize for having developed new weapons. As the only country to have contributions in the four areas of— methods for making carbon-carbon experienced nuclear devastation in war, (i) assistance to developing bonds. Being able to join carbon the Prime Minister said that he believed countries, including leading efforts atoms together is a key step in the Japan has a moral responsibility to lead towards meeting the MDGs and process of building complex actions to realize this. strengthening the Tokyo molecules, and this has great International Conference on African significance for organic chemistry Prime Minister Kan also spoke of his Development (TICAD), contributing to medicine and other personal motivation behind his efforts to (ii) the global environment, areas of everyday life. eliminate nuclear weapons. Studying speaking of the need to halt the loss physics at university, he learned about of biodiversity, Professor Negishi (75) is a the Pugwash Conferences through which (iii) nuclear disarmament and non chemistry professor at Purdue Dr Albert Einstein and Japanese scientist -proliferation, including Japan‟s University in America. Emeritus Dr Hideki Yukawa, who had both worked appointment of „Special Professor Suzuki (80) works at on the development of atomic bombs, Communicators for a World without Hokkaido University. Both Negishi had called for the abolishment of nuclear Nuclear Weapons‟, and and Suzuki did post-doctoral work at weapons. Mr Kan said: “What they were (iv) peacekeeping and peace- Purdue University under another building, through investments in faced with was a contradiction—science, Nobel Laureate, Professor Herbert assistance to PKO training centres which should have contributed to the Brown. and developing human resources. happiness of humanity, had created In an interview with the Editor-in- Prime Minister Kan also stressed nuclear weapons, which threatened the Chief of Nobelprize.org Adam the importance of UN reform, stating survival of humanity...the desire grew Smith, Professor Negishi, who reform was important in order to within me to play a part in resolving this developed metal-based reactions, address global issues appropriately, contradiction.” said that he was still „in awe of the and that reform was indispensable for the Security Council to have power of transition metals‟*. legitimacy that reflects the realities For the full text of the two speeches, see: Japan now has 18 Nobel Laureates. of the international community. www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/kan/statement/ Japan strongly aspires to be a * Ei-ichi Negishi—interview. 14 Oct. 2010 index_e.html. permanent member of the Security http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/ laureates/2010/negishi-telephone.html Council. Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTSSPRING Japan 2010 REPORTS Japanpage REPORTS three .
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