The United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, UNAFEI in short, has a long history and is the oldest institution of the UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network (PNI). UNAFEI was established in 1962 by an agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Japan.

For over 60 years, UNAFEI has conducted 182 training courses/seminars, with the participation of more than 6400 criminal justice practitioners from 144 countries/regions including Japan. The strong and wide personal network of UNAFEI alumni has become a great asset for this institute, and many UNAFEI alumni have gone on to hold various high positions in their respective countries. For more detailed information concerning our various activities, please look into this web page. I am confident that UNAFEI contributes greatly in the promotion of international cooperation in area of criminal justice.

As for my professional background, I was appointed as a public prosecutor in 1995. Although this is my first time working at UNAFEI, my career specializing in international work adds up to more than 16 years. After doing prosecutorial work in various district public prosecutors office, I worked as a government attorney for 10 years at the International Division of the Criminal Affairs Bureau of Ministry of Justice, the Central Authority of Japan, engaging in various international work including negotiating international treaties and handling mutual legal assistance/extradition cases. I also served as first secretary in the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. Since 2018, I was appointed as Assistant Vice-Minister of Justice in charge of International and Human Rights, and oversaw the preparation of Kyoto Congress, the largest international conference of the UN in the field of criminal justice, as the Executive Director of the Kyoto Congress National Executive Committee. My previous position was Chief Prosecutor of Asahikawa District Prosecutors Office, and it is truly an honour for me to be able to join this institute of long-standing tradition.

UNAFEI has resumed in-person training courses and seminars from August 2022, after two-and-a- half years of interruption due to Covid. During Covid, many things had to be done online, but now the time has come to build back better. UNAFEI is eager to provide better training courses and seminars by utilizing methods learned during the Covid days and we intend to keep you updated at this site. I ask you for your continuous assistance and support for our activities.

Warm regards,

Director, UNAFEI