Ambassador of The United States To Japan
Schieffer became one of only three non-career appointees to serve in both the first and second terms of the Bush administration as an Ambassador. On April 1, 2005 Schieffer was sworn in as the twenty-second Ambassador of the United States to Japan, having been confirmed by the United States Senate unanimously for the second time.
During his tenure in Japan, Schieffer was again cited by the office of the Inspector General for an exemplary job of leading and managing the 1000-plus personnel embassy. He was also intimately involved in negotiating the most far-reaching reorganization of the U.S.-Japan alliance since the signing of the Security Agreement in 1960. The U.S.-Japan alliance has been and continues to be the linchpin of both countries security in Asia and the Pacific. Under the terms of the new agreement Japan agreed to provide billions of dollars in assistance to the United States to help modernize U.S. facilities in Japan. Schieffer was also instrumental in strengthening the intelligence ties between the two countries. Heavily involved in the Six Party Talks, which centered on North Korea's attempts to become a nuclear weapons state, Schieffer was also praised by both Japan and U.S. officials for diplomatic skills throughout the talks. Schieffer was praised by Japan and U.S. human-rights groups for keeping the issue of the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korean intelligence agents before negotiators. During his time in Japan, Schieffer attended five more summits with the U.S. President and three Japanese Prime Ministers including the 2008 G-8 Summit in Hokkaido.
On March 16, 2006 he visited Niigata City with the families of victims of North Korean abductions of Japanese.
As Ambassador, Schieffer hosted distinguished leaders, such as on May 13, 2008 the crew members of STS-123 NASA space shuttle Endeavor discussed their March 11–26 mission to the International Space Station and other aspects of astronaut life with a group of Tokyo-area Japanese junior high and high school students at the Embassy. The mission delivered the first part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's "Kibo" module. Students from Naha and Fukuoka also participated in the program by digital video conference.
Schieffer was a frequent speaker on behalf of the United States and worked to enhance global relations. As examples, Ambassador Schieffer was the guest and featured speaker of the Yomiuri International Economic Society's meeting in Osaka and Ambassador Schieffer traveled to Misawa, in northern Japan, and spoke on the topic of "Looking at U.S.-Japan Relations from a Local Perspective." The event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the official establishment of the town of Misawa.
On January 16, 2009 Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, on behalf of the Secretary of Defense, presented outgoing Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Secretary Geren described the Ambassador's support to the U.S.-Japan alliance as tireless, having a tremendous impact, and laying the foundation for Alliance Transformation in the years to come. The medal is the U.S. military's highest civilian award.
He departed this post on January 20, 2009.
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