Ambassador Toshihide Ando took up his duties as Permanent Representative of Japan to the OECD on 23 October 2025.
Mr. Ando began his career in April 1989 at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). In July 1992, he was appointed Third Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in the United States, later promoted to Second Secretary in April 1993. In July 1994, he joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, serving in the Planning Division of the Petroleum Department within the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.
Returning to MOFA in July 1996, Mr. Ando assumed the role of Deputy Director at the G7 Summit Office in the Economic Affairs Bureau. From July 1998, he held positions in the Treaties Bureau, including Deputy Director and later Principal Deputy Director of the International Agreements Division and the International Economic Agreements Office.
In May 2001, he became Principal Deputy Director of the Second North American Division in the North American Affairs Bureau. In January 2003, he served as Private Secretary to the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary. In January 2005, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Policy Coordination Division in the Foreign Policy Bureau, concurrently serving in the Policy Planning Division of the Economic Affairs Bureau.
In April 2006, Mr. Ando became Senior Coordinator in the Economic Partnership Division, followed by a similar role in the Management and Coordination Division of the Minister’s Secretariat in September 2006. His overseas assignments resumed in November 2007 as Counsellor at the Embassy of Japan in Australia, followed by postings in the United States (January 2010) and Singapore (August 2012).
In August 2014, he returned to Tokyo as Director of the Regional Policy Division in the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. Two years later, in August 2016, he became Director of the Public Diplomacy Strategy Division in the Minister’s Secretariat. In July 2017, he was appointed Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Director-General for Press and Public Diplomacy.
In July 2018, Mr. Ando became Deputy Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. In July 2019, he was posted to India as Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan. In January 2022, following his return from India, he assumed the role of Assistant Minister and Director-General of the Consular Affairs Bureau, followed by another Assistant Minister and Director-General position in the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau in January 2024.