Greetings from Consul General MUROTA Kosei

To residents of Southern California and Arizona,

My name is MUROTA Kosei, and I have recently assumed the position of Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles.

Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994, this will be my second assignment in the United States, following my time at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. With no previous connection to the West Coast until now, I have arrived in Los Angeles feeling both the weight of my mission and the joy of beginning a new life in this great city.

Southern California and Arizona is home to approximately 90,000 Japanese nationals and many people from Japan visit every year for business, study, tourism, and other purposes. In addition to the popularity of professional sports, such as Major League Baseball featuring numerous Japanese players, the region includes cities such as Inglewood, which will host matches for the FIFA World Cup in 2026 as well as the Super Bowl in 2027. In 2028, Los Angeles will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We anticipate the number of Japanese visitors to this region will continue to grow. The Consulate General of Japan’s most important mission will be to provide smooth and high-quality consular services to Japanese residents. I will make every effort to ensure that Japanese nationals can safely live in this region and with peace of mind.

On the economic front, Southern California is also the largest destination in North America for Japanese companies, with more than 1,200 operating here. To further develop economic relations between Japan and the United States, we will work closely with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) to promote cooperation in environmental and energy sectors, including the use of Japan’s cutting-edge hydrogen technology. At the same time, we will work to promote investment in Japan, expand tourism to Japan, and increase the export of Japanese food products and alcoholic beverages to the United States.

Los Angeles is also the entertainment capital of the world, home to Hollywood. In recent years, Japanese titles as well as U.S. content related to Japan, such as Shogun, have received high acclaim, further elevating interest in Japanese culture. By fully tapping into Los Angeles’s unique position, I will work closely with JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles and the Japan Foundation to further promote Japanese culture. I also hope to find ways to contribute, even in a small way, to the growth of Japan’s content industry.

This region is home to the largest Japanese American community in North America, with a population of over 280,000. In 2024, Little Tokyo, a symbolic hub for the Japanese American community, celebrated its 140th anniversary. I will value our exchanges with the Japanese American community, whose members have laid the foundation for Japan-U.S. relations, and will work toward further development and the enhanced presence of this community. Personally, I also wish to make my time in Los Angeles an opportunity to deepen my understanding of Japanese American history.

Looking ahead, I intend to visit as many locations as possible across Southern California and Arizona. While listening to your views and opinions, I will devote myself to further strengthening Japan-U.S. relations. I sincerely ask for your understanding and cooperation in these endeavors.