Nongovernmental organizations play an extremely important role abroad, with their activities constituting an effective form of diplomacy, according to a new ambassador tasked with overseeing Japanese NGOs.
"It is often said that Japan has been conducting diplomacy that is not visible . . . but NGOs are going out in the field and are making Japan's presence visible," said Mitsuhiro Saotome, who was appointed Nov. 8.
Raising the level of government funds allocated toward NGOs would see cash funneled directly to the grassroots level and used more effectively to finance specific projects, Saotome said in a recent interview.