Greeting from Consul General Sato
Greetings. I am Hiroshi Sato. I arrived in the Unites States on October 10, 2008, to head the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville, which serves a five-state region of Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
We opened our new office in Nashville this year, and it made Japan the first and only country to hold a Consulate-General in the State of Tennessee. This fact is proof of the growing partnerships between Japan and the Southern States.
Japan ’s presence in the South is increasingly visible with more and more Japanese companies investing in the region. Japan ranks first in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Kentucky and Tennessee, and now we have over 9,000 Japanese residents in our five-state service area.
I feel it is an honor and privilege to serve as the first-ever Consul General of Japan in Nashville. At the same time, I also feel momentous responsibility.
One of our primary missions is to offer consular services to our fellow Japanese citizens living and traveling in our jurisdiction to ensure they lead safe and comfortable lives in the United States.
Another important mission is to promote and assist with cultural and grassroots exchanges as well as business partnerships between the two. Although it may be said that Japan-U.S. relationships are in a golden age, it is vital for us, Japanese and Americans, to solidify this partnership and ensure it is everlasting by promoting mutual understanding at the grassroots level.
In keeping with my motto for the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville, I’d like to make this Consulate “accessible”, “dependable” and “positive” for the people.
Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we may be of assistance.
With warmest regards,
Hiroshi Sato
Consul General of Japan
Consul General Hiroshi Sato’s Bio:
Hiroshi Sato entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1973. His overseas assignments include the Embassies of Japan in Washington, D.C, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Philippines. Among other posts, he also served as First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, Political Counselor of the Embassy of Japan in Egypt, Director of Ocean Affairs, Director for Protection of Japanese Nationals Overseas, Deputy Consul General of Japan in New York and in Hong Kong, China before he assumed his current position in Oct. 2008.