Consulate General of the United States, Sapporo

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Consulate-General of the United States in Sapporo
Consulate General of the United States, Sapporo
LocationFlag of Japan.svg  Japan
AddressKita 1-jo Nishi 28-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido 064-0821
Coordinates 43°03′23.0″N141°18′49.8″E / 43.056389°N 141.313833°E / 43.056389; 141.313833
Consul General Mark Wuebbels
Website jp.usembassy.gov

Consulate-General of the United States in Sapporo is a consulate-general of the United States located in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. It was established on April 28, 1952. [1]

Contents

History

Although the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo was established after World War II, the history of U.S. consular offices in Hokkaido dates back to the late Edo period.

Prehistory (1854–1865)

On March 31, 1854, following the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa, relations between Japan and the United States were established. This led to the immediate opening of Shimoda, and the opening of Hakodate (now Hakodate) a year later, as well as the permission for Americans to reside in Shimoda and Hakodate. [2] On April 28, 1857, American diplomat Elisha Rice arrived in Hakodate as a trade officer. On August 23, 1857, Rice started his residence in Hakodate with the endorsement of Hotta Masamitsu. [3]

U.S. Consulate in Hakodate (1865–1876)

On January 18, 1865, Rice, the trade officer, was appointed as the first consul in Hakodate, establishing the U.S. Consulate in Hakodate. Consul Rice held his position until November 2, 1870. [4] Following him, two consuls and two vice-consuls served. The last consul, Merriman Colbert Harris, served from November 6, 1875, to October 5, 1876. In 1876, the U.S. Consulate in Hakodate was closed. [4] The building used as the consulate no longer exists, but a signpost marking the "Former U.S. Consulate Site" stands in Yayoi-cho 4-chome in Hakodate City. [5]

U.S. Consular Agency in Hakodate (1876 – 1883/1904 – 1918)

In 1876, the U.S. Consular Agency in Hakodate was established in place of the consulate. On January 3, 1877, the former consul, Merriman Harris, took office as the first consular agent and served until February 12, 1879. The agency was temporarily closed in 1883 but reopened in 1904. On May 2, 1904, Edward Julian King became the consular agent and held the position until September 30, 1918. On November 15 of the same year, the U.S. Department of State officially closed the consular agency in Hakodate. Until the end of World War II, there was no U.S. consular presence in all of Hokkaido, including Hakodate. [4]

Sapporo Branch, Office of the U.S. Political Adviser (1950–1952)

After World War II, the United States established the Sapporo Branch, Office of the U.S. Political Adviser. This office served as the predecessor of the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo and played a significant role in supporting the establishment of the local government system in Hokkaido. [6]

U.S. Consulate in Sapporo (1952–1986)

On April 28, 1952 (Shōwa 27), with the enforcement of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Japan regained its independence. Accompanying this, the political adviser's office in Sapporo was closed, and the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo (Consulate of the United States in Sapporo, U.S. Consulate Sapporo) was inaugurated. This was the first establishment of a U.S. consular office in Hokkaido in 34 years and the very first U.S. consulate in Sapporo in history. David Lawrence Osborne was appointed as the inaugural consul, in what was essentially a promotion. In 1955 (Shōwa 30), the consulate relocated to North 1, West 13, Chuo-ku, Sapporo. Then, in 1978 (Shōwa 53), it moved to its current building near Maruyama Park. [4]

U.S. Consulate-General in Sapporo (1986–present)

On November 21, 1986 (Shōwa 61), the consulate was elevated to become the U.S. Consulate-General in Sapporo. [4]

Consuls general

Since the establishment of the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo in 1952, several consuls general have served. Below is a list of the consuls general:

NameDate of AppointmentDate of DepartureNotes
Elisha E. RiceAugust 23, 1857January 18, 1865Trade Officer [3]
Elisha E. RiceJanuary 18, 1865November 2, 1870Consul (Retained) [4]
Ambrose C. DunnNovember 3, 1870May 15, 1871Consul [4]
Nathan Emory RiceMay 16, 1871July 14, 1871Vice Consul [4]
Elisha E. RiceJuly 15, 1871October 6, 1871Consul (Reappointed) [4]
George E. RiceOctober 7, 1871March 31, 1872Vice Consul [4]
John Hart HawesApril 1, 1872November 6, 1875Consul [4]
Merriman Colbert Harris November 6, 1875October 5, 1876Vice Consul [4]
Merriman Colbert HarrisJanuary 3, 1877February 12, 1879Acting Consul (Retained) [4]
John H. DussFebruary 12, 1879August 25, 1880Acting Consul [4]
William C. DavissonAugust 25, 1880September 19, 1882Acting Consul [4]
Lee W. SquierSeptember 19, 1882July 18, 1883Acting Consul [4]
Vacancy
Edward Julian KingMarch 2, 1904September 30, 1918Acting Consul [4]
Vacancy
William L. MagistrettiJanuary 1950October 1950Political Advisor [4]
Richard Boswell FinnOctober 1950February 1951Political Advisor [4]
David Lawrence Osborn February 1951April 1952Political Advisor [4]
David Lawrence Osborn19521953Consul (Retained) [4] [7] [8]
William Magistretty19531953Consul [8]
Harry. F. Pfeiffer Jr.19531954Consul [8]
Daniel Meloy19541956Consul [8]
Kingdon W. Swayne19561958Consul [8]
John Knowles19581960Consul [8]
Ronald A. Gaiduk19601963Consul [8]
John Sylvester Jr.19631965Consul [8] [9]
William Clark Jr. 19651967Consul [8]
William Tully Breer19671968Consul [8]
Martin G. Heflin19681971Consul [8]
Sunao Sakamoto19711973Consul [8]
Stephen Martin Ecton19731975Consul [8]
Lawrence F. Farrar19751977Consul [8]
Donald B. Westmore19771979Consul [8]
Christopher J. LaFleur19791980Consul [8]
Charles F. Kartman19801982Consul [8]
Robert C. Reis Jr.19821984Consul [8]
Mark C. Minton 19841986Consul [8]
John R. Dinger 1986November 1986Consul [8]
John R. DingerNovember 19861989Chief Consul (Retained) [8]
Roger L. Dankert19891992Chief Consul [8]
Dennis J. Ortblad19921995Chief Consul [8]
Richard M. Gibson19951996Chief Consul [8]
Marlene J. Sakaue19971998Chief Consul [8]
W. Michael Meserve19982001Chief Consul [8]
Alec P. Wilczynski20012004Chief Consul [8]
Marrie Y. Schaefer20042007Chief Consul [8]
Donna Ann Welton20072010Chief Consul [8] [10]
John RiesAugust 2010June 2013Chief Consul [11] [12]
JoEllen GorgSeptember 2014August 2016Principal Consul [13]
Rachel Brunette-ChenAugust 2016July 2019Principal Consul [14]
Andrew LeeAugust 2019August 2022Chief Consul [15] [16]
Mark WuebbelsAugust 2022July 2025Principal Consul [17]
Yuki Kondo-ShahAugust 2025presentPrincipal Officer [18]

References

  1. ↑ Sapporo City's International Initiatives (2016 Edition) | Sapporo City [ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Hakodate City History" Comprehensive Edition 2 Chapter 1 Section 3-4
  3. 1 2 Elisha E. Rice Consul, also known as Elisha Rice, Japan-US Negotiations, Japan-US Encounters
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 History of U.S. Consular Activities in Hokkaido | U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan
  5. ↑ Former U.S. Consulate Site | Donan Block Museum Facilities Liaison Council
  6. ↑ WWII Post War | Hokkaido University Archives
  7. ↑ Osborn, David L. (David Lawrence), 1921–1994 – Social Networks and Archival Context
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 北海道日米協会50年誌, 北海道日米協会, archived from the original on January 23, 2020
  9. ↑ "Interview with John Sylvester Jr". Vietnam Center and Archive at Texas Tech. Archived from the original on January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  10. ↑ All people can work with pride in society. Social welfare corporation Prop Station holds a forum in Mie | Komeito Newspaper November 14, 2001
  11. ↑ Mr. John Ries, Consul General in Sapporo, USA, and his party visited TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
  12. ↑ Foreigners visiting the Hokkaido Government Office
  13. ↑ October 2013 issue – Official website of Chitose City, Hokkaido
  14. ↑ Interview with Ms. Brunette-Chen, Principal Consul at the US Consulate in Sapporo | Hokkaido Construction Newspaper Society – e-kensin
  15. ↑ Consul General Andrew Lee – U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan
  16. ↑ Consul General Andrew Lee – U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan
  17. ↑ Mark Wuebbels – Principal Officer, Consulate General Sapporo – U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan
  18. ↑ https://jp.usembassy.gov/sapporo-principal-officer-yuki-kondo-shah/
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