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Complete list of U.S. Ambassadors to Japan and Deputy Chiefs of Mission

U.S. Ambassadors to Japan

Ambassadors: 1859-Present

Deputy Chiefs of Mission

Name Appointed Title
A.L. C. Portman June 27, 1861 Secretary & Interpreter
J.C. Hepburn April 6, 1871 Interpreter
Durham W. Stevens August 6, 1873 Secretary of Legation
Gustavus Goward January 23, 1883  Secretary of Legation
Fred S. Mansfield November 12, 1885 Secretary of Legation
Edwin Dun September 3, 1889 Secretary of Legation
Joseph R. Herod March 8, 1895  Secretary of Legation
Huntington Wilson October 10, 1990 Secretary of Legation
H. Percival Dodge August 8, 1906 Secretary of Embassy
Peter Augustus Jay June 21, 1907 Secretary of Embassy
Montgomery
Schuyler		 December 21, 1908 Secretary of Embassy
Arthus Bailly-
Blanchard		 February 1, 1912 Secretary of Embassy
Post Wheeler June 3, 1914 Secretary of Embassy
John Van A.
MacMurray		 November 10, 1917 Counselor
Hugh R. Wilson August 19, 1921 Counselor
Jefferson Caffery September 5, 1923 Counselor
Norman Armour June 25, 1925 Counselor of Embassy
Edwin L. Neville April 12, 1928 Counselor of Embassy
Eugene H. Dooman January 5, 1937 Counselor of Embassy

Embassy Closed December 8, 1941
Embassy Re-established April 28, 1952

William T. Turner April 10, 1953 Counselor
J. Graham Parsons July 18, 1953 Counselor of Embassy
Outerbridge Horsey April 22, 1956 Minister-Counselor
William Leonhart December 28, 1958 Minister-Counselor
John K. Emmerson July 22, 1962 DCM
David L. Osborn January 1967 DCM
Richard L. Sneider September 1969 DCM
Thomas P.
Shoesmith		 July 1972 DCM
William C. Sherman July 1977 DCM
William Clark, Jr. October 1981 DCM
L. Desaix Anderson June 1985 DCM
William T. Breer September 1989 DCM
Rust M. Deming October 1993 DCM
Christopher J. LaFleur November 1998 DCM
Richard A.
Christenson		 July 2001 DCM
Michael W. Michalak April 2004 DCM
Joseph R. Donovan August 2005 DCM
James P. Zumwalt July 2008 DCM