JAPANESE AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA ISSEI NOMURA WILL BECOME THE TOP OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF CROWN PRINCE NARUHITO’S HOUSEHOLD, EFFECTIVE THURSDAY, THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED AT A CABINET MEETING TUESDAY

Kyodo News Service
Apr 03, 2006

Hideki Hayashida, the current grand master of the crown prince’s
household, will leave office on Thursday.

A native of Hiroshima Prefecture, Nomura, 65, joined the Foreign
Ministry in 1963. He has served as Japan’s ambassador to Russia,
Armenia, Turkmenistan and Belarus since 2002 after serving as
ambassador to Malaysia and Germany.

Nomura has close relations with Hisashi Owada and his wife Yumiko,
the parents of Crown Princess Masako.

Hayashida, who worked for the former Ministry of Education before
becoming the grand chamberlain of the crown prince’s household in
November 2001, became the grand master in May 2002.