Speaker detail

Sasaki Hiroshi

Hiroshi Sasaki is a distinguished Japanese diplomat and senior public sector leader with over four decades of experience in government administration, regional development, and international cooperation. Born on May 22, 1961, in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, Mr. Sasaki earned his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo in 1985, followed by a Master of Arts in American Politics from Cornell University in 1991. He began his career in 1985, joining Japan’s Ministry of Home Affairs. Over the course of his career, Mr. Sasaki has held numerous senior leadership roles across both central and prefectural government. His early assignments included key positions within the Niigata Prefectural Government, where he served as Director of the Labor Administration Division and the Finance and Budget Division. He later returned to central government, taking on strategic roles within the Ministry of Home Affairs and subsequently the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, focusing on local administration, policy planning, and administrative system reform. Mr. Sasaki has extensive international experience, having served as Executive Director of the New York Office of the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations from 2007 to 2010, where he played a pivotal role in strengthening ties between Japanese local governments and international partners. His regional leadership experience includes his tenure as Vice Governor of Kagoshima Prefecture (2013–2016), where he contributed to regional development initiatives and public administration reform. He also served as Director-General of the Local Public Service Personnel Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, overseeing national policies related to public sector human resources. In addition to his government roles, Mr. Sasaki has held prominent advisory and executive positions, including President of the Local Autonomy College and Senior Advisor at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc., where he provided strategic guidance on public policy and regional revitalization. Since November 2023, Mr. Sasaki has been serving as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Turkmenistan, where he is actively engaged in strengthening bilateral relations and promoting economic, political, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.