Following several appointments in Japan's foreign service, specializing in international trade policy issues, Professor Watanabe has now brought those skills and experience to the senior academic post he has filled at Keio University since 2005.
Prof. Watanabe’s distinguished career has featured significant engagement in the major bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations in which Japan has been involved in the past two decades. This included the role of policy advisor to relevant Ministries, and postings to Japan's diplomatic missions in Brussels (1995-1998) and Geneva (1985-1988).
He was Deputy Director-General of the Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan from 2002-2004 and served as Chief Negotiator for the Japan-Mexico EPA and the Working Party on Russia’s Accession to the WTO. He was Special Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan in 2004. He has been a member of the Task Force on Japan-India Economic Partnership, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2006 as well as of the Task Force on Japan-EU Economic Partnership under the auspices of the JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization. Currently Prof. Watanabe is a member of the Special Study Group on the BREXIT issues set up by the Keidanren, the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations.
Prof Watanabe completed his BA and MA and was PhD candidate in International Relations at Sophia University, Tokyo. He also studied at the College of Europe in Bruges under Belgian Government Scholarship. He is the author of a number of publications on GATT/ WTO and other trade agreements such as Japan’s Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). His recent book on the TPP (Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement) has been ranked one of the top-ten best selling books on business and economics in December 2011 in Tokyo.
Prof. Watanabe has been appointed Statutory Auditor at Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Co.Ltd, which is affiliated to Daimler AG, since April 2015.