Makoto Watanabe (diplomat)

Makoto Watanabe (渡辺 允, Watanabe Makoto; 9 May 1936 – 8 February 2022) was a Japanese diplomat.

Makoto Watanabe
渡辺 允
Grand Chamberlain to the Emperor
In office 12 December 1996 – 15 June 2007
Monarch	Akihito
Preceded by	Satoru Yamamoto
Succeeded by	Yutaka Kawashima
Japanese Ambassador to Jordan
In office 1988–1990
Preceded by	Kira Nakayama
Succeeded by	Tadashi Nonoyama
Personal details
Born	(1936-05-09)9 May 1936 Tokyo, Japan
Died	8 February 2022(2022-02-08) (aged 85) Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Parent	Akira Watanabe (father)
Education	Hibiya High School
Alma mater	University of Tokyo

Biography

Watanabe was born in Tokyo, as a son of Akira Watanabe. He attended Hibiya High School and graduated from the University of Tokyo. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1959. He was Ambassador of Japan to Jordan from 1988 to 1990. He was Grand Chamberlain of Japan from 1996 to 2007 and director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan from 1993 to 1995. He was an adviser to the Imperial Household Agency from 2012 on.

He was strongly opposed to the publication of the book Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2007 and said the Imperial Household Agency could not accept it.

Watanabe died on 8 February 2022, at the age of 85.