Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2022 - Dr. Kenneth R. Weinstein

On August 4, 2022 (Japan Time), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan announced the recipients of its Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2022. Dr. Kenneth R. Weinstein is among this year’s foreign recipients. He will receive a Commendation in recognition of his contributions to the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States of America.

At the Hudson Institute, Dr. Weinstein has consistently worked to strengthen relations between Japan and the United States. In an op-ed published in October of 2013, he emphasized that the U.S. should build a closer strategic relationship with Japan in the areas of diplomacy, economics, and military affairs. In 2019, he established the Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair, inviting Gen. H.R. McMaster, a former National Security Advisor in the Trump administration, to be its inaugural holder. Dr. Weinstein currently works for the Brunswick Group, a British consulting firm, supporting Japanese companies expanding their business in the United States.

Every year, the Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas. The Commendations also aim to promote the understanding and support of the Japanese public for the activities of the recipients.