He’s an expert diplomat, but Takashi (Thomas) Shinozuka admits that he’s a “beginner” consultant. 

The former consul general of Japan in Atlanta recently retired from the country’s foreign service after a more than 40-year career that culminated in an ambassadorship to Morocco. 

Having returned to Japan about a year ago, he has been volunteering at his twin daughters’ high school and helping them prepare for college entrance exams. 

He has also stayed busy as vice president of the Japan-Morocco Association and a senior research fellow at the Africa Society of Japan.

But recently, a new opportunity came calling in the form of two voices from his recent past: Jorge Fernandez and Craig Lesser from the Atlanta-based Pendleton Group. 

The consulting firm was looking for a contact on the ground to help its clients — companies, municipalities, economic development agencies and innovation hubs — connect with counterparts in Japan. 

After four decades mostly away handling visa issues, promoting Japanese economic interests abroad and relaying policy positions to various international interlocutors, Mr. Shinozuka said his business network at home was a little out of date. 

“I can’t say that I have so many connections for the time being, because I’m a kind of beginner consultant, but now it’s time to try to build (them),” he told Global Atlanta in an interview by phone. 

Those who remember him from his time in Atlanta from 2015-19, however, recall a consummate connector who seemed ubiquitous at community events, always ready to lend assistance to those seeking to engage with the country. 

Before coming to Atlanta, Mr. Shinozuka worked for a decade in the Imperial Household Agency, where he helped manage the affairs of then-Emperor Akihito, often welcoming visiting foreign dignitaries.

Retiring with an ambassador rank gives him leverage to open doors, Mr. Shinozuka said, which is just what…