U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel visits Yokosuka Naval Base, south of Yokohama, Jan. 19, 2024. (Stars and Stripes)
TOKYO — The U.S. Embassy in Japan has denied a Japanese news agency report that Ambassador Rahm Emanuel could step down in November.
Kyodo News, quoting anonymous government sources, claimed on Saturday that Emanuel plans to resign his post to help with the transition should Vice President Kamala Harris win the Nov. 5 presidential election.
If Donald Trump wins, he is likely to name a new ambassador to Japan.
However, the embassy spokesperson, in an email Tuesday to Stars and Stripes, said Emanuel has not decided on his departure date.
“He has always said he would serve out his full term which is three years,” said the spokesperson, who responded to Stars and Stripes only on condition of anonymity.
Emanuel, a former Illinois congressman and Chicago mayor who served as chief of staff to former President Barack Obama, arrived in Japan in January 2022.
Ambassadors typically submit their resignations at the end of an administration, even if the incumbent stays in office, Brad Glosserman, deputy director and visiting professor at the Center for Rule-Making Strategies at Tama University in Tokyo, said by email Tuesday.
“I thought Emanuel would be a mistake because his bull in the China shop personality seemingly wouldn’t fit in Japan,” he said. “But he has proved me very wrong. He’s been an outstanding success.”
The Japanese government and public think highly of the stalwart defender of the U.S.-Japan alliance who has pushed for greater participation for Japan in the security partnership and a greater role for Japan in international diplomacy, Glosserman said.
“His views of China mirror those of the Japanese government and seem to suggest the possibility of driving a wedge between Tokyo and Washington is near impossible,” he wrote.
The Axios news website on Wednesday listed Emanuel as a potential national security adviser in a Harris administration.
“Emanuel was rumored to have been ready to step down regardless of the outcome of this election and was thought to be seeking a Cabinet position in a second Biden administration, perhaps commerce or maybe even defense,” Glosserman said.
It’s uncertain what his place might be in a Harris administration, Glosserman wrote.
“It’s not at all clear how close a relationship he has with the vice president and that is what is key for any ambassador in an important post such as Japan,” he said.
