country predecessor successor nationality ambassador_from article_title name
china uichiro niwa masato kitera japanese japanese shinichi nishimiya
 shinichi nishimiya
shinichi nishimiya

nishimiya studied in the united kingdom .
he was considered one of the leading experts on united states within the japanese foreign ministry .
he was well known in u.s. diplomatic and political circles , and was a contributor to programs at the council on foreign relations in new york city .
he served at the japanese embassy in beijing in 2005 .
in 2007 , nishimiya became the head of the foreign ministry 's north american affairs bureau .
he then served as the japanese consul-general in new york city before being named a deputy minister in 2010 .
shinichi nishimiya was appointed as japan 's ambassador to china in 2012 .
he was designated to replace outgoing ambassador uichiro niwa , a former chairman of itochu .
nishimiya 's appointment came at a critical time in relations between china and japan due to an escalation in tensions over the senkaku islands dispute and the ongoing 2012 china anti-japanese demonstrations .
ambassador nishimiya collapsed outside of his home shortly after his appointment .
he died unexpectedly at a hospital in tokyo on september 16 , 2012 , at the age of 60 .
japanese foreign minister koichiro gemba held a press conference to acknowledge the loss of nishimiya .
gemba noted that it will take time to find a capable replacement for ambassador to china , especially during the ongoing senkaku islands dispute .
