The Japan International Cooperation Agency Office in Samoa for the first time is headed by a female Resident Representative with the new appointee assuming office this month.

Yumiko Asakuma becomes the first female Resident Representative to head J.I.C.A. Samoa since its establishment in 1988 and transitioned into her new role from May 1. 

She has taken over from her predecessor Akihiko Hoshino – who paid his final courtesy call to Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa on the same week Ms. Asakuma arrived – to bid farewell after three and a half years of service. 

Mr Akihiko departed Samoa on Sunday 15 May after serving his full term as Resident Representative and Head of Office in Samoa.

Prior to being appointed to J.I.C.A. Samoa, Ms. Asakuma recently completed a 3 year and 3 months assignment to JICA Nepal as Chief Representative.

Ms. Asakuma was born and raised in Osaka, Japan before moving to Tokyo after graduation. She worked as an underwriting administrative staff and a retail business analyst for a security firm prior to joining JICA in 1993. 

Since joining the organisation she has worked in various technical cooperation projects, including development studies and grant aid projects of social economic development in JICA Headquarters. Additionally, she has experience working in JICA Overseas Offices in Nepal, Bhutan and India as well as Yokohama and Tokyo.

In the upcoming weeks, Ms. Asakuma will pay courtesy visits to all counterpart Offices and looks forward to helping further develop and strengthen strong ties between both countries. 

“I am excited about living in Samoa, a beautiful country in the South Pacific and working for the development of Samoa and contributing further friendship and partnership between Samoa and Japan.”

She also served as a Chief Representative of JICA Bhutan Office from Dec 2012 to Mar 2016.Ms. Asakuma is a graduate from Osaka Prefectural University in Department of Integrated Arts & Sciences.