In view of recent shifts in the global energy landscape – especially the developments in gas – how does Japan see the energy architecture evolving? And as one of Asia’s leading economies, how is Japan contributing to the region’s energy security?

Hear more from Ms Misako Takahashi, Director of the Economic Security Division in the Economic Affairs Bureau at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Ms Takahashi leads the division in charge of economic security issues such as energy, food, minerals, among others at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. She often represents the Government of Japan at international meetings including G7 and G20 for energy and food security matters.

Prior to her current work at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms Takahashi was Division Head of Asia Pacific and Partnerships (formerly, Asia Pacific and Latin America Division) at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris from October 2013 to July 2016. During this period, Ms Takahashi was in charge of the IEA’s global engagement with emerging countries such as China, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India, Brazil, Mexico and others, as well as regional partnerships such as APEC, EAS, ASEAN, UN and others. 

Ms Takahashi has worked for the Japanese diplomatic service for more than 20 years. Most recently, she was a Minister-Counsellor at Japanese Embassy in Baghdad, from 2012-2013 and co-chaired the Iraq-Japan ODA monitoring committee with a Chairman of Prime Minister’s advisory committee and former oil minister of Iraq. She was also a chairperson for the Working Party for Domestic Regulation under WTO’s Doha trade round from 2009-10 in Geneva and led the multilateral negotiation on easing the domestic barriers to services trade during the period.

Ms Takahashi studied law at Tokyo University in Japan and has an M.A. from London University. She speaks and communicates in English, Arabic, Bahasa, French and Chinese, in addition to Japanese.