[Harold]

An embassy is basically the main building that a foreign nation has in a country. There is only one embassy per foreign country. For example, the American embassy in Minato-ku (Tokyo) is the only embassy in Japan. However, consulates are "mini embassies," which operate at a smaller level, have less authority, and usually are in most major cities of country. In Japan, there are American consulates in cities all around the country. There are American consulates in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Okinawa. There may be more, but I'm not sure.

Basically, the embassy is the big boss and the consulates work for the embassy