The government on Tuesday appointed its ambassador to Ukraine, effective the same day, and named new envoys to Australia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates, effective Thursday.
Takashi Kurai, 63, who served as Japan's ambassador to Pakistan from February 2016, will become ambassador to Ukraine.
Reiichiro Takahashi, 62, who has been consul general in New York since January 2015, will take the post of ambassador to Australia.
Tatsuhiko Kasai, 62, was picked as ambassador to Kazakhstan after serving as Japan's consul general in Russia's Vladivostok from September 2014.
Norio Maruyama, 59, a former press secretary for the Foreign Ministry, will become ambassador to South Africa.
Tatsuo Hirayama, 61, who has served as consul general in Perth, Australia, since August 2016, was named ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Christopher and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Keiko Yanai, 62, will assume the post of ambassador to the Maldives. Yanai has served as consul general in Brisbane, Australia, since May 2017.
Akihiko Nakajima, 61, an assistant chief Cabinet secretary between July 2016 and August 2018, was tapped as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.