Mr. Yoshikawa was born in Nara, Japan, in 1951. In 1974, he graduated from the ICU, International Christian University in Tokyo. In the same year, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. In June, 2013, he was appointed as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, the post he held for 3 years. He ran the election campaign for Japan's candidature for a non-permanent seat at the Security Council. In 2015, Japan won the election with 184 votes, the highest ever for Japan, at the General Assembly and Ambassador Yoshikawa served as a member of the Security Council from January 2016 till his last day in NY. As a member of the Security Council, he was instrumental in passing the Security Council Resolution 2270 against the nuclear test conducted by the North Korea. In 2016, he signed, on behalf of Japan, the Paris Agreement to cope with the climate change.
After retiring from the 42-year diplomatic service, Ambassador Yoshikawa was named Distinguished Professor at his Alma Mater, International Christian University, or ICU, in April 2017. He teaches international relations and diplomacy.