James Peter Zumwalt ( born April 13 , 1956 ) is an American diplomat with expertise in trade , economy , and East Asia . On November 19 , 2014 he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and to Guinea-Bissau . Previously , he worked as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs , covering Japan and Korea . Until December 2011 , he was the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo where he also served as chargé d'affaires ad interim during the absence of an Ambassador from January to August 2009 . He coordinated the U.S. Embassy 's response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
James P. Zumwalt