Photo/Illutration Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, poses on March 26, 2024, at the tribunal in The Hague in the Netherlands. (Mizuho Morioka)

As president of the International Criminal Court based in The Hague, Tomoko Akane lives by a simple rule: “Villains must be punished.”

Akane, who is 67 and the first Japanese head of the ICC, has felt that way since her college days when she decided on a career as a prosecutor.

While studying 45 years ago at the University of Tokyo, she quickly realized that job opportunities for women were limited.

She specialized in law so she would have a solid footing to carve out a professional career.

Akane made up her mind to administer justice based solely on law and evidence.

Most of her judicial career was spent in Japan. Her big break came in 2018 when she was tapped to serve as a judge at the ICC, which broadened her experience as cases centered on human rights violations.

In March 2023, Akane was involved in the discussions about issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of efforts to question his responsibility for the war against Ukraine. Moscow retaliated by putting Akane on its wanted list.

“We made the decision based on evidence,” Akane recalled. “I am as firmly determined as prosecutors in Japan.”

Finding her colleagues at the ICC were fluent in both English and French, Akane made it a habit to thoroughly debate issues repeatedly while using documentation to state her case. Convincing other judges verbally was difficult for her.

When she finished half of her nine-year term as a judge, those around her began saying she should become the tribunal’s next president. They considered Akane’s trait of persistence and reputation for fairness.

She initially hesitated, worrying about whether she was up to the task.

In the end, she was swayed by her resolve to punish criminals and a growing number of war crimes being reported worldwide that were landing on the ICC’s doorstep.

Another factor that inspired her was her sense of crisis over what she described as the inward-oriented stance of Japanese. She believes Japan is an easy nation in which to live but thinks it is difficult to achieve massive success unless a person travels broadly to expand their horizons.

Akane viewed her selection as ICC president as a chance to set an example to young Japanese thinking about heading overseas to make something of themselves.

She lives by the Japanese motto saying, “one has places to bury bones everywhere.” This suggests people should not stay stuck in their hometowns but branch out by taking on new challenges.

Akane is hoping that her fresh career path will present a role model in line with the motto.

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