Dr. Ritter Diaz

International Consultant

Dr. Ritter Diaz served for nearly 20 years at the Embassy of Panama in Japan, first as Commercial Counsellor (1999-2014) and later as Ambassador (2014-2019). After leaving diplomatic service in 2019, he transitioned into an international consulting career focused on fostering relations between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean. He has also held positions at Banco General, Panama’s largest bank, and Panasonic Latin America. Dr. Diaz holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a Master’s Degree in International Political Economy from Tsukuba University, and an Honorary Doctorate from Chiba University.
Currently, he serves as a Senior Advisor at Hatada Corporation, a Japanese company specializing in manufacturing rubber components for high-tech devices and machinery used by companies such as Canon, Boeing, and Fanuc, among others. Additionally, he works as an independent consultant
in Tokyo, providing strategic advice to companies looking to navigate business opportunities between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean in sectors such as export/import, tourism, financial services, real estate, and government relations.
Dr. Diaz is also the Representative Director of the Japan Association for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (JAPOLAC), a non-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering practical exchanges between Japan and Latin America in areas such as international education, culture, and the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises in both regions. JAPOLAC also cooperate and provide information to Latin American embassies accredited in Tokyo, with 10 of these embassies serving as honorary members of the association (Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Guatemala, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Panama and Cuba).