While Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's administration struggled amid a slush funds scandal embroiling the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has been underpinning it on the diplomatic front.
With an eye on the next general election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the parliament, some in the LDP are hoping that she will become a candidate to succeed Kishida as party president, although it remains to be seen if momentum pushing her toward the top job will pick up.
From April 26 to Monday over Japan's Golden Week, Kamikawa visited Madagascar, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, France, Sri Lanka and Nepal.