Nobuhiko Ushiba

Nobuhiko Ushiba entered the Foreign Ministry in 1932 after studying law at Tokyo Imperial University. He served as ambassador to Canada from 1961 to 1964 and administrative vice minister from 1967 to 1970 before taking charge of the Washington embassy. His American ambassadorship, from 1970 to 1973, coincided with major disputes over trade and the Nixon administration's opening to China. ¹

In October 1971, Ushiba pressed Henry Kissinger for reliable briefings on the American talks with Beijing and asked him to explain the importance of the U.S.–Japan security treaty to Chinese leaders. Ushiba argued that the alliance restrained pressure for Japanese rearmament, including nuclear weapons. He also emphasized that Tokyo could not simply command either its press or its textile industry, explaining the domestic obstacles to a textile settlement. ²

Ushiba and David Kennedy signed the formal agreement restricting Japanese wool and synthetic textile exports on January 3, 1972. After returning to Japan, Ushiba became minister of state for external economic affairs in 1977 and subsequently represented Japan in multilateral trade negotiations. In 1979 he and former U.S. ambassador Robert Ingersoll were named cochairmen of an independent bilateral group established by President Carter and Prime Minister Ōhira to recommend improvements in economic relations. ^{1, 2}