NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel plans to leave his post in early January, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony later that month, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Emanuel said in an interview for the newspaper in late November that his next move would be to "figure out something in public service."

The U.S. news site Axios reported last month that the ambassador was considering running for chairman of the Democratic National Committee next year.

According to The New York Times, Emanuel, reflecting on his time as envoy, said his "impatience" nudged forward Japan, a country that he said typically makes decisions after a "long process of quiet consensus-building."

"While I was here, they (Japan) did more, went faster and farther and deeper than I think they themselves originally thought," he said in the interview. His way of wanting to get things done "contributed" to Japan's decisions to increase military spending and acquire Tomahawk missiles from the United States.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell recounted how Emanuel called "every single day" to talk about a Japan-related agenda item, the report said. Campbell admitted that there were times he did not like it, but it was nevertheless a "relentless" and "effective" approach.

Emanuel, also known for his tough stance on China, was chief of staff to former President Barack Obama between 2009 and 2010. He became ambassador to Japan in January 2022 after his stint as mayor of Chicago.