All national papers except Yomiuri wrote that a former Japanese government employee was elected director general of the Universal Postal Union on Wednesday, underscoring that this was the first time for a Japanese official to take the helm of a UN-related organization since 2019. Metoki Masahiko first joined the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in 1983, primarily taking care of postal services privatization. The 62-year-old Japan Post executive has represented Japan as Chair of the Postal Operations Council since 2012. Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda said in a statement that Metoki’s election serves national interests and vowed to step up efforts to have more Japanese officials elected at international organizations.