TOKYO — The Japanese government appointed Friday Hideaki Harada, 61, as ambassador to Namibia.

Harada previously served in Japan’s embassies in Zimbabwe and the Philippines, and spent time working at the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Shinichi Nakatsugawa, consul general in Milan, and Shigeru Toyama, consul general in Qingdao, China — both 63 — were named as ambassadors to Cyprus and the Solomon Islands, respectively.

These appointments take effect Monday.