{"record":{"aliases":[],"appointmentIds":["japan-ff376411b63424"],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":[],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/yoshio-okawara-9c9c4bd112/","countrySlug":"japan","entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/yoshio-okawara-9c9c4bd112/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Yoshio Ōkawara was born in Annaka in 1919 and joined the Foreign Ministry after studying law at Tokyo Imperial University. Military service interrupted his diplomatic career: he served at the Japanese naval headquarters at Rabaul and, after the war, worked in liaison with the Australians before returning to Japan in 1947. He subsequently studied in the United States and served in London and the Philippines.","Ōkawara's later career centered on relations with the United States. He served as minister in Washington and director general of the American Affairs Bureau before becoming ambassador to Australia and then ambassador to the United States from 1980 to 1985. On October 30, 1981, he and Richard T. Kennedy signed a joint determination allowing continued reprocessing of American origin nuclear material at Japan's Tokai facility. The arrangement relaxed earlier quantity restrictions while the governments worked toward a longer term framework.","After government service, Ōkawara continued to write about Asian security as president of the Institute for International Policy Studies. In a 2007 essay he advocated sustained dialogue with China, stronger regional security institutions, and a trilateral conversation involving Japan, China, and the United States. He also urged cooperation on energy, the environment, and historical research."],"id":"japan:yoshio okawara","identifiers":{},"legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-9c9c4bd112acc6e53b3a.html","name":"Yoshio Ōkawara","notes":[],"paragraphSources":[["okawara-library"],["okawara-library","okawara-tokai","okawara-essay"],["okawara-essay"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-9c9c4bd112acc6e53b3a.html","relatedEvents":[],"relatedPeople":[],"relationships":[],"researchStatus":"reviewed","reviewedOn":"2026-10-28","revision":"d62029b5390b6cd7","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":null,"id":"okawara-library","locator":"PDF page 1, career chronology","publisher":"Annaka City Library","title":"大河原文庫寄贈者プロフィール","type":"institutional-history","url":"https://www.e-tosho.com/annaka/pc/pdf/%E5%A4%A7%E6%B2%B3%E5%8E%9F%E6%96%87%E5%BA%AB%E5%AF%84%E8%B4%88%E8%80%85%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%83%95%E3%82%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB4.pdf"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"1981-10","id":"okawara-tokai","locator":"Joint determination and statement of October 30, 1981","publisher":"Japan Atomic Energy Commission","title":"原子力委員会月報 第26巻第10号 — 日米再処理問題","type":"primary-record","url":"https://www.aec.go.jp/kettei/ugoki/geppou/V26/N10/198119V26N10.html"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"2007-12-14","id":"okawara-essay","locator":"AJISS-Commentary No. 19 and author biography","publisher":"Japan Institute of International Affairs","title":"Japan's Evolving Relations with China","type":"primary-record","url":"https://www.jiia.or.jp/en/ajiss_commentary/column-23.html"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"2012-11-19","id":"mission-5a397b8676ad6894559b","locator":"Modern chief names and protocol dates through Kenichiro Sasae; Historical diplomatic representation from 1891; Embassy raised in 1906, wartime interruption, reopening in 1952","publisher":"","title":"Diplomatic Representation for Japan","type":"Mission record","url":"https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/94066.htm"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"","id":"mission-47f8c07a93e23a4dc346","locator":"","publisher":"","title":"Yoshio Ōkawara — mission record (1980–1985)","type":"Mission record","url":"https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/public/2022-03/40-748-12026383-R8-071-2022.pdf"}],"topics":["civil nuclear cooperation","Pacific War","regional security"]},"schemaVersion":1}