Senior Japanese minister expresses regret over military officer’s arrest at Chinese embassy
Beijing says incident in which a man is accused of breaking in with a knife, reflects the growth of ‘rampant far-right ideology’ in Japan
Tokyo police have identified the 23-year-old suspect as Kodai Murata, a second lieutenant with the Ground Self-Defence Force (SDF), and said he was suspected of bringing an 18cm (7-inch) knife onto the embassy premises.
No one was injured in the incident and a blade was found in shrubbery on the embassy grounds, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference the incident was “truly regrettable”, adding: “The police are investigating the case and have increased the number of officers assigned to guard the embassy to enhance security.
“As the investigation progresses and more details emerge, we will take the necessary steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
The suspect admitted breaking into the premises, NHK reported, and told police he wanted to confront the Chinese ambassador, Wu Jianghao, and demand he stop making hardline remarks about Japan. He also said he was “planning to take my own life” if his demands were rejected.