Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Monday she will set up an informal advisory panel this week, from which she hopes to get suggestions on not only political and economic diplomacy but also on "soft" issues such as cultural exchange, education and environment.
Members will include Chie Nakane, a renowned anthropologist at the University of Tokyo, Testuko Kuroyanagi, an actress and a good-will ambassador of UNICEF, and Masayoshi Son, president of Softbank Corp.
"I wanted to get people from various fields -- and not those foreign policy experts -- to get fresh ideas on diplomacy," Tanaka told reporters. he panel will hold its first meeting Wednesday then meet from time to time to freely discuss diplomatic issues, Tanaka said.