Kōichirō Asakai (Japanese: 朝海浩一郎; 1906–1995)[1]: 199 was a Japanese politician who served as ambassador to the United States and ambassador to the Philippines.
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Asakai studied banking and graduated from Hitotsubashi University in 1929, before joining the Foreign Ministry.[1]: 199 He was taught English by Edward Gauntlett, an English language teacher from Wales.[1]: 199 From 1929 until 1931, he studied law at the University of Edinburgh.[1]: 199 He became an attaché in the Japanese mission in London, and was posted to Nanjing before returning to the Foreign Ministry.[1]: 199
He was bureau chief of the Central Liaison Office from March 1946.[2][1]: 199 During this time, he attended meetings of the Allied Council for Japan as an "observer" and the sole diplomat.[1]: 199 In August 1951, he was appointed the first head of the Japanese Government Overseas Agency in London.[1]: 200 He was assisted in his work by the Japan Society of London, which had been set up two years prior.[1]: 200
In 1956, Asakai was appointed the first post-war Japanese ambassador to the Philippines.[3]
In June 1957, he was appointed as the Japanese ambassador to the United States.[4] He left the position in the winter of 1963,[5] and was succeeded by Ryūji Takeuchi.[6]
Personal life
In 1936, he married Takako Debuchi[7] the daughter of Katsuji Debuchi, a former ambassador to the United States. They had three sons[3] and a daughter Akiko Asakai.[8]