Consulate Activities
2025/11/5
Greeting from Consul General Chotoku
Aloha, everyone!
My name is CHOTOKU Hideaki, and I began serving as the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu from November, 2025. Although I have previously been posted to France, the Netherlands, and Indonesia, and I have visited numerous countries and regions as part of my official duties, until now I never had the opportunity to visit Hawaiʻi, so I am truly delighted to set foot on Hawaiian soil for the first time.
For Japanese people, Hawaiʻi was once merely a dream destination, but has now become a popular and accessible destination for tourists and a familiar place. Currently, approximately 26,000 people of Japanese nationality reside in the region covered by our consulate (the State of Hawaiʻi and American Samoa), and in addition, many Japanese visitors travel to this area every year for tourism and other purposes. One of our consulate’s biggest missions is to provide high-quality consular services to these Japanese nationals, and strive to ensure that they can travel and stay herewith peace of mind.
On the other hand, Hawaiʻi is not simply a tourist destination, but also a land with a rich culture and a long history. In addition to the more than 1000 years of Native Hawaiian history, Hawaiʻi's culture has been greatly influenced by the arrival of immigrants from North and South America, as well as Europe, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia since the 19th century. In particular, we cannot forget the legacy created by the 150 years of Japanese immigration and activities of Japanese Americans. Based on the wonderful relationship built by these predecessors, there are a variety of activities and exchanges currently being carried out between Japan and Hawaiʻi, not only in tourism but also in a wide range of fields such as culture, academia, economy, trade, and mutual support in times of disaster. Many such activities are also being conducted at a municipal level through sister and friendship city frameworks. We would like to continue to do what we can to contribute to the further development of this multi-layered and multi-faceted network of exchanges and cooperation.
In addition, as can be understood by the presence of Pearl Harbor and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on Oahu, Hawaiʻi is of crucial strategic importance to the Indo-Pacific region. Based on the understanding that the Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and further consolidation of this is the top priority for Japan’s foreign and security policy; here at our Consulate we are committed to further enhancing the Japan-U.S. alliance, which will result in greater strength and prosperity for both Japan and the U.S.
I will do my utmost to contribute to the further development of Japan-U.S. relations and Japan-Hawaiʻi relations. I very much look forward to meeting and working with you in the near future, and thank you for your continued support and guidance.
CHOTOKU Hideaki
CHOTOKU Hideaki (Mr.)
Consul-General, Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu
Education:
1993 M.E. Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan
2005 M.A. Development Economics, National Institute for Policy Studies, Japan
Professional Career:
1993 Entered the Ministry of Transport (Japan Meteorological Agency)
1996 Seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
1999 Entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
2006 First Secretary, Permanent Delegation of Japan to UNESCO
2010 Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands
2012 Director, Development Assistance Policy Planning Division, MOFA
2014 Counsellor, Japan Economic Revitalization Bureau, Cabinet Secretariat
2017 Director, Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency Relief Division, International Cooperation Bureau, MOFA
2018 Director, Consular Policy Division, Consular Affairs Bureau, MOFA
2020 Minister, Embassy of Japan in Indonesia
2023 Deputy Assistant Minister and Deputy Director-General, Consular Affairs Bureau, MOFA
Deputy Assistant Minister and Deputy Director-General, Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau, MOFA
2024 Ambassador for Climate Change
Deputy Assistant Minister and Deputy Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau, MOFA
2025 Consul-General, Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu
My name is CHOTOKU Hideaki, and I began serving as the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu from November, 2025. Although I have previously been posted to France, the Netherlands, and Indonesia, and I have visited numerous countries and regions as part of my official duties, until now I never had the opportunity to visit Hawaiʻi, so I am truly delighted to set foot on Hawaiian soil for the first time.
For Japanese people, Hawaiʻi was once merely a dream destination, but has now become a popular and accessible destination for tourists and a familiar place. Currently, approximately 26,000 people of Japanese nationality reside in the region covered by our consulate (the State of Hawaiʻi and American Samoa), and in addition, many Japanese visitors travel to this area every year for tourism and other purposes. One of our consulate’s biggest missions is to provide high-quality consular services to these Japanese nationals, and strive to ensure that they can travel and stay herewith peace of mind.
On the other hand, Hawaiʻi is not simply a tourist destination, but also a land with a rich culture and a long history. In addition to the more than 1000 years of Native Hawaiian history, Hawaiʻi's culture has been greatly influenced by the arrival of immigrants from North and South America, as well as Europe, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia since the 19th century. In particular, we cannot forget the legacy created by the 150 years of Japanese immigration and activities of Japanese Americans. Based on the wonderful relationship built by these predecessors, there are a variety of activities and exchanges currently being carried out between Japan and Hawaiʻi, not only in tourism but also in a wide range of fields such as culture, academia, economy, trade, and mutual support in times of disaster. Many such activities are also being conducted at a municipal level through sister and friendship city frameworks. We would like to continue to do what we can to contribute to the further development of this multi-layered and multi-faceted network of exchanges and cooperation.
In addition, as can be understood by the presence of Pearl Harbor and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on Oahu, Hawaiʻi is of crucial strategic importance to the Indo-Pacific region. Based on the understanding that the Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and further consolidation of this is the top priority for Japan’s foreign and security policy; here at our Consulate we are committed to further enhancing the Japan-U.S. alliance, which will result in greater strength and prosperity for both Japan and the U.S.
I will do my utmost to contribute to the further development of Japan-U.S. relations and Japan-Hawaiʻi relations. I very much look forward to meeting and working with you in the near future, and thank you for your continued support and guidance.
November 2025
CHOTOKU Hideaki
Consul-General of Japan in Honolulu
Biography of Consul-General CHOTOKU Hideaki
CHOTOKU Hideaki (Mr.)
Consul-General, Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu
Education:
1993 M.E. Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan
2005 M.A. Development Economics, National Institute for Policy Studies, Japan
Professional Career:
1993 Entered the Ministry of Transport (Japan Meteorological Agency)
1996 Seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
1999 Entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
2006 First Secretary, Permanent Delegation of Japan to UNESCO
2010 Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands
2012 Director, Development Assistance Policy Planning Division, MOFA
2014 Counsellor, Japan Economic Revitalization Bureau, Cabinet Secretariat
2017 Director, Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency Relief Division, International Cooperation Bureau, MOFA
2018 Director, Consular Policy Division, Consular Affairs Bureau, MOFA
2020 Minister, Embassy of Japan in Indonesia
2023 Deputy Assistant Minister and Deputy Director-General, Consular Affairs Bureau, MOFA
Deputy Assistant Minister and Deputy Director-General, Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau, MOFA
2024 Ambassador for Climate Change
Deputy Assistant Minister and Deputy Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau, MOFA
2025 Consul-General, Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu