Takehiro Kano

Biography

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Takehiro Kano is the Permanent Delegate of Japan to UNESCO, a position he has held since 2023. He possesses extensive experience in diplomacy and international relations, cultivated through various high-ranking roles within Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and other government institutions.

Ambassador Kano graduated from the University of Tokyo, Japan, with a Bachelor of Law in 1989 and later earned a Master of Economics from Selwyn College, Cambridge University, United Kingdom. Since joining MOFA in 1989, he has held influential positions such as Director of the Climate Change Division, International Cooperation Bureau, and Director General of the Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department.

His diplomatic career included key postings as Minister at Japan’s Permanent Mission to the International Organisations in Vienna, Austria, and as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. Additionally, Ambassador Kano served as a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo from 2012-2014.

A prolific author, Ambassador Kano has published works on international peace cooperation, climate change negotiations, and nuclear diplomacy, including Environmental Diplomacy: Climate Change Negotiations and Global Governance (Sinzansha Publisher Co.,Ltd, 2013), Nuclear Diplomacy: A Perspective from Vienna, the City of IAEA (Shinzansha Publisher Co.,Ltd, 2017), and Japan’s international peace cooperation: time to move on (‘Diplomacy’ Vol 81, Sep-Oct. 2023). His breadth of expertise, particularly in global governance and security policy, positions him as a leading figure in Japan’s international diplomatic efforts and the nation’s contributions to UNESCO's global initiatives.