#04. Consul General Shikata, Consulate-General of Japan in Barcelona: On Her Experience of Overseas Assignment with Her Son

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Hello, I'm Mei.
I've just graduated from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain.
(You can find my profile here)
 
In the past, I struggled with the conflict between my career and life plans and felt the challenges women face when pursuing an MBA abroad.
However, after coming to Spain, I had the chance to meet many amazing mothers, and their stories gave me great courage.
I decided to interview female seniors to share with others that there are many different ways to overcome such challenges.
For the fourth interview in this series, I spoke with Ms. Shikata, Consul General at the Consulate-General of Japan in Barcelona. We discussed topics such as her journey as a female diplomat and how she has balanced her career with raising a child.

About Ms. Akiko Shikata

The Consul-General of the Consulate-General of Japan in Barcelona.
In March 1986, after graduating from the Faculty of Foreign Studies at Sophia University with a major in Spanish, she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan as a Specialist Official in April. Her designated professional language at the Ministry was Spanish. After joining, she underwent two years of training in Madrid, the capital of Spain. At the Escuela Diplomática (Diplomatic School) in Madrid, she completed an international course alongside aspiring Spanish diplomats as well as international students from Latin America and Asia. She later pursued a master’s course on the European Union at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Technical University of Madrid), studying with Spanish professionals.
Her overseas assignments included posts at the Embassy of Japan in Mexico (1989–1991, 2002–2005), the Permanent Delegation of Japan to the OECD (1999–2002), and the Embassy of Japan in the United Kingdom (2013–2015). Subsequently, she served in various key positions, such as Senior Coordinator of the Public Diplomacy Strategy Division, Director of the Local Partnership Cooperation Division, Director of the International Affairs Division of the House of Representatives Secretariat, and Regional Coordinator for Central America and the Caribbean Division in the Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau. She assumed her current position in March 2024.
On a personal note, she is married to a fellow Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, and they have one son. She also has experience serving abroad accompanied only by her son.

Q1. You majored in Spanish at university. What inspired you to study Spanish?

When I was a child, I saw television footage of a major earthquake that struck Nicaragua, and it left a deep impression on me. Since then, I had a vague but persistent desire to one day work in a field that would help people in developing countries. When the time came to choose a university, I realized that in order to give form to that desire, I needed to learn more about Latin America. As a first step, I decided to study Spanish.

Q2. What made you decide to pursue a career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

While studying Spanish at university, I learned about the realities facing developing countries, especially in Latin America. This led me to aspire to a career that would allow me to serve as a bridge between those countries and Japan. I was strongly drawn to work where I could use my language skills, represent Japan on the international stage, and build relationships of trust with local people — and this naturally led me to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition, at the time, it was far more difficult for women to secure employment and maintain long-term careers compared to today. While job hunting, I also considered working for private companies and attended various corporate information sessions. However, I often encountered situations where I felt that it would be challenging to build a lasting career as a woman. Against this backdrop, I was drawn to the public sector, where institutional and cultural equality was more established and where women had more opportunities.

Q3. In 1986, the year you joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Equal Employment Opportunity Law came into effect in Japan.
How many female employees were there at the time?

The year I joined the Ministry, about 30 people entered at the same time in the same job category, and 7 of them were women. I believe the proportion of women was relatively high compared to the years before and after. At the time, among the generation of seniors 15 years ahead of me, there were almost no women. In the generation 10 years ahead, there were a few female officials.

Q4. When you joined the Ministry, what was your impression or expectation regarding balancing a diplomatic career with life events such as marriage, childbirth, and parenting?
Did you have any female role models?

To be honest, I wasn’t particularly worried about balancing career and life events.
I assumed that once I was assigned overseas, it would naturally become more difficult to have children or raise them. On the other hand, I also thought that if I prioritized life events, I might lose opportunities to work abroad.
I’m an optimistic person by nature, so I had the mindset that I’d manage somehow when the time came.
As for role models, I admired a female senior who was about ten years older than me. Despite having children, she was working energetically on the front lines. I remember thinking, “I hope I can be like her one day.”
 

Q5. When did you have your child, and how long was your maternity or childcare leave?

I gave birth in my eighth year at the Ministry, when I was 30 years old.
In addition to taking prenatal leave, I took eight weeks of maternity leave after childbirth. At that time, the systems supporting childcare were not yet well established. The childcare leave system had just been introduced and was still unpaid (The Childcare Leave Law came into effect in 1992, but benefits under the Employment Insurance system weren’t introduced until 1994, in Japan).
 
There was also no precedent for whether one could return to the same department and the same duties after taking childcare leave, which became a concern. So, I decided not to take childcare leave.
In fact, at the time of my pregnancy and childbirth, I was feeling a great sense of fulfillment working in the Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau. Even during pregnancy, I was highly motivated, often working overtime. That’s why I strongly wanted to continue in the same department.
 
When I returned to work, I received incredible understanding and support from my supervisors and colleagues. But more than anything, the support from my family was invaluable. My mother and mother-in-law often traveled to Tokyo by bullet train or plane to help care for my son. Especially when my child was sick and couldn’t go to daycare, I was truly supported by both of them.

Q6. When your assignment to the Embassy of Japan in Mexico for the second time was decided, what led you to go abroad with your son?

My first overseas assignment after giving birth was in Paris.
The headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is located in Paris, as is the Permanent Delegation of Japan to the OECD, where I was posted. My husband, who also works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was assigned to Paris around the same time. I was very grateful that we were both able to work in the same city. That marked the beginning of our life in Paris as a family of three, including our then five-year-old son.
 
The work at the Permanent Delegation of Japan to the OECD was highly rewarding and later proved valuable in economic negotiations. However, after working there for more than three years, I began to feel a strong desire to return to my original area of expertise—Latin American affairs.
 
Around the time my assignment in Paris reached the three-year mark, I was offered a posting to the Embassy of Japan in Mexico. My husband had already received a transfer order back to Tokyo, and our son was eight years old at the time. Considering the situation, it made sense for me to be the one to care for him, so I brought him with me to Mexico.

Q7. Given how rare it is for women to take overseas assignments alone with a child, did you have any concerns before taking the post?

One of my main concerns was whether I could find a good nanny.
When we moved to Paris, we brought a Japanese nanny with us, as we wanted to help my son maintain his Japanese language skills. We had posted a job listing in Japan, conducted interviews from a large pool of applicants, and fortunately found a wonderful person. During weekdays, while my son was at preschool or school, the nanny had time to attend language school or enjoy personal activities. Then, she would take care of my son after school.
Since Paris is a very popular destination for Japanese people, I think we were able to attract many applicants. Mexico, however, was a different situation, and we were unsure whether we’d receive any applications at all. Fortunately, we found a great person. She started working for us in the last few months of our stay in Paris, remained there initially, and later moved to Mexico with us, continuing as our nanny there.
 
Another concern was a general one: whether I could fully manage my work while also raising my child. I did have some vague worries about balancing both roles. However, I tend to be an optimistic person and didn’t dwell on it too deeply, so the concern wasn’t overwhelming. Also, since I had already experienced an overseas posting in Paris together with my husband, I didn’t have particular anxiety about the nature of the overseas assignment itself, even though this time I would be going alone. On top of that, I had previously lived in Mexico, so I could somewhat imagine what daily life would be like. I think it was helpful that I first experienced a family posting, followed by a solo posting—it allowed me to gradually adjust.

Q8. While posted overseas, how did you balance work and parenting?
Could you share what you kept in mind during that time, or any tips you might have for managing both?

First, I believed in “spending enough money when it comes to what truly matters.” Trying to cut costs while juggling work and parenting only made things harder. During my six years posted in Paris and Mexico, I was supported by four wonderful Japanese nannies. It was undoubtedly expensive, but I viewed it as a necessary expense and accepted it as such.

Second, “don’t hesitate to involve those around you.” And I believe the important thing is to properly express your gratitude in words to those who support you. For example, there were times when the mother of one of my son’s classmates organized after-school events. Although I couldn’t participate with my son, I was deeply grateful that she looked after him.

Third, “don’t feel guilty toward your child.”
I’m not sure how well I did overall, but I tried my best to provide a stable environment for my son. Yes, working means there’s limited time to spend with your child—but you’re not doing anything wrong. If you're doing your best within your means, there’s no need for guilt.
I also realized that maintaining my own emotional stability was extremely important in parenting. As time went on, I came to appreciate that having many people involved in raising a child—and exposing them to different perspectives and ways of interacting—is actually beneficial for their development.

Q9. Lastly, do you have any message for young women struggling to balance their careers and life events?

What I believe is most important is to “stay optimistic.”
I truly believe that things will lead to good outcomes and eventually point you in the right direction.
Of course, tackling tough jobs or preparing for difficult exams can be hard in the moment—but that hardship is only temporary. Once you get through it, I believe the joy and fulfillment you gain will be many times greater. The rewards—whether in the form of professional satisfaction or a rich personal life—can feel 100 times more meaningful.
 
Inevitably, there will be failures along the way. I do reflect on them—but I also make a conscious effort to move on.
There may be times during challenging work when you have to rely on colleagues or family. You might feel guilty for asking for help. But when I look back on my own journey, I can confidently say: “There has never been a time when I gave my best and it didn’t lead to results.”
I truly believe that those around you will recognize and support your efforts.
 

I also conducted interview with Ms. Shikata on themes such as “Her Encounter with the Spanish Language,” “Her Career as a Diplomat,” and “Working on the International Stage.” These interviews are compiled in a separate article on the IESE Japanese Student Website. Please feel free to check out here.

Thank you for reading until the end!
Please check out other interview Series.