Kenichi Bessho named NPA Deputy Director-General as Supreme Court names judges

The Official Gazette dated October 9, 2026, published personnel changes for the National Personnel Authority, announcing the appointment of Kenichi Bessho, Consul General of the Consulate-General of Japan in Munich (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), as Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat of the National Personnel Authority. Simultaneously, the Supreme Court issued personnel appointments for judges and assistant judges, with assignments to courts in Tokyo, Kumamoto, and Fukuoka included in the same Gazette. The effective date for the National Personnel Authority appointments is October 1, 2026, while those for the Supreme Court are dated October 1 and October 6.

The Official Gazette is the government’s official journal published by the National Printing Bureau, and the “Personnel Changes” section publicizes the appointments and dismissals of various ministries and agencies. The National Personnel Authority is the central body responsible for the personnel administration of national public servants, and the Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat is an executive position within that secretariat. This appointment was publicized as a personnel exchange of executive positions between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Personnel Authority.

National Personnel Authority and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Exchange Deputy Director-General Posts

• Kenichi Bessho (Consul General of the Consulate-General of Japan in Munich, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) — Transferred to Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat of the National Personnel Authority.
• Mio Maeda (Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat of the National Personnel Authority) — Seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Effective Date: October 1, 2026.

Supreme Court Issues Personnel Appointments for Judges and Assistant Judges

• Mikihiro Mineta (Judge and Summary Court Judge) — Appointed as Judge of the Tokyo High Court.
• Kenji Kubo, Yozo Arai, Tomoaki Fujimori, Takayoshi Matsuda (Summary Court Judges) — Appointed as Judges of the Fukuoka Summary Court.
• Yuta Kitaoka (Assistant Judge of the Osaka District Court, Assistant Judge of the Osaka Family Court, and Judge of the Osaka Summary Court) — Appointed as Assistant Judge of the Kumamoto District Court, concurrently as Assistant Judge of the Kumamoto Family Court, and as Judge of the Kumamoto Summary Court.
• Natsuo Sakai (Assistant Judge of the Matsuyama District Court, Assistant Judge of the Matsuyama Family Court, and Judge of the Matsuyama Summary Court) — Appointed as Assistant Judge of the Tokyo District Court and Judge of the Tokyo Summary Court.
• Makiko Mawatari (Judge of the Tokyo District Court and Judge of the Tokyo Summary Court) — Assigned to the Civil Affairs Bureau of the General Secretariat of the Supreme Court (October 6).

Conferment of Honors and Diet Matters Also Published in the Same Official Gazette

• Conferment of Honors: Appointments dated August 31, September 1, September 2, and September 4 of the 8th year of Reiwa are listed, recording conferments of Senior Fourth Rank, Junior Fourth Rank, Senior Fifth Rank, Junior Fifth Rank, Senior Sixth Rank, Junior Sixth Rank, Senior Seventh Rank, and Junior Seventh Rank, as well as decorations such as the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Stripes, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Ribbons.
• Diet Matters: A written inquiry submitted by a member of the Diet on October 7 (Written Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of the Normalization of Gambling, etc., submitted by Chinami Nishimura) and the proceedings schedules for both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors for October 8 were publicized.
• Government Agency Reports: The Shikoku Regional Development Bureau publicized the designation of road occupation restriction areas, and the relevant drawings will be available for public inspection for two weeks starting from October 9, the 8th year of Reiwa.

This issue of the Official Gazette simultaneously indicates the appointment of a former diplomat to an executive position at the National Personnel Authority and the transfers of judges and assistant judges assigned to courts nationwide. For readers tracking both civil service and judicial personnel changes, this serves as a primary source to confirm the contents of the appointments dated October 1 and October 6.

Source: Official Gazette (dated October 9, 8th year of Reiwa, published by the National Printing Bureau) “Personnel Changes” (National Personnel Authority, Supreme Court), “Conferment of Honors,” “Diet Matters,” “Government Agency Reports.” National Personnel Authority appointments are dated October 1, 8th year of Reiwa; Supreme Court appointments are dated October 1 and October 6, 8th year of Reiwa.