Sir. Naohito Watanabe

Naohito Watanabe, a native of Kochi, Japan, is the Consul General of Japan in Barcelona since September 2016.

He has held various diplomatic positions in the Ibero-American world such as Spain, Venezuela, Nicaragua twice, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil as Director of the Cultural and Information Center of Japan, Miami in the USA, Ecuador and Uruguay.

In Nicaragua he met Rubén Darío’s works, literary treasures that in reality have much to do with Japan. He translated the works “Azul …” and “Viaje a Nicaragua y Intermezzo tropical” into the Japanese language for the first time.

He was awarded the decoration of the Order of Rubén Darío. He is the corresponding member of the Nicaraguan Academy of the Language and since then throughout his diplomatic career, he has dedicated himself to the literary activities of translations, creations of literary works, conferences and etc.

 

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DIPLOMATIC CAREER

• 2016, September 20 Appointed Consul General, Consulate General of Japan in Barcelona
• 2016. Senior Coordinator of Global Environmental Affairs
• 2015. Senior Deputy Director, Division of Global Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
• 2013. Counselor *, Embassy of Japan in Uruguay
• 2009. Counselor *, Embassy of Japan in Ecuador
• 2006. Deputy Consul General, General Consulate of Japan in Miami
• 2001. Counselor *, Embassy of Japan in Nicaragua
• 1996-1999. Director of the Cultural and Information Center of Japan in Rio de Janeiro
• 1991-1996. First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Nicaragua
• 1984-1987. Third Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Venezuela
• 1981-1984. Attaché of the Embassy of Japan in Spain
• 1980. Enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

(*) Local rank

EDUCATION

• 1981. Diplomatic School of Madrid
• 1979. National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
• 1975-80. University of Foreign Studies of Tokyo, Japan

RECOGNITIONS AND MENTIONS

• 2006
  Order of Rubén Darío, Officer’s degree, Government of Nicaragua
  Recognition Plaque of the National Assembly of Nicaragua
  Medal “Key of the Palace of Culture” of the Nicaraguan Institute of Culture
  Corresponding Member of the Nicaraguan Academy of the Language
  Honorary Vice President of the International Institute of Rubén Darío and the Dariano World Movement of Miami

LITERARY WORK

• 2016. “Sōzō ka shi ka” (Ed. Akashi-Syoten), Japanese translation of Oppenheimer’s “Create or Die”
• 2016. Coauthor of “Nicaragua or shiru tame no go jū go shō” [55 chapters to know Nicaragua]
• 2015. Essay “Hamaki or katate ni chūnanbei” [Cigar on the hand, Latin America] (Ed. TASC Sosyo)
• 2014. “Ratenamerika no kyōiku senryaku” (Editorial Jiji Press), Japanese translation of Oppenheimer’s work Basta de Historias
• 2013. Novel “Misaki – Mayoikaze no fuku toki” [the Cape, when the wind of vacillation blows]
• 2011. Novel “Obaachan no Ginenshashin” [Silver Halide Photo of my Granma
• 2011. “Beishū kyūshutsu ratenamerika no kiken na suitai to beikoku no yūutsu” (Ed. Jiji Press), Japanese translation of Oppenheimer’s work “Saving the Americas”
• 2010. Novel “Wani no sanpomichi” [Walkway of Crocodile]
• 2006. Cigar Newsletter Nicaragua “Cigar Style No.1”
• 2005. “Ao …” (Ed. Bungeisha), Japanese translation of the work of Rubén Darío “Azul …”
• 2005. Novel “Lost Family” [The portrait of the lost family] (Ed. Bungeisha)
• 2003. Co-author of “Honjurasu, Erusarubadoru, Nicaragua or shiru tame no yonzyu go shō” [45 chapters to know Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua]
• 1996. Novel “Shindemo Aishiteru” [Love you in Spite of Death]
• 1996. Novel “Kuronosu no kage” [Shadow of Chronos]
• 1994. “Nicaragua e no tabi”, Japanese translation of Rubén Darío’s work “Viaje a Nicaragua y Intermezzo Tropical”