Japanese public figures have criticized the government's response to the forcible intrusion by a member of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) into the Chinese embassy in Japan earlier this week, calling the act serious in nature and questioning the government's handling of the matter thus far.
Yuri Kono, a professor at Japan's Hosei University, described the incident as an "indefensible and serious blunder." He said the SDF bears inescapable responsibility given that an active-duty SDF member threatened the security of a foreign embassy.
"From the perspective of international principles and the practical need to prevent further escalation, the Japanese government should move swiftly to address the matter and hold those responsible accountable," Kono added.
Hiroshi Shiratori, also a professor at Hosei University, said the incident is unacceptable under international law, warning that if the matter were dealt with merely by expressing "regret," Japan would find it difficult to demand a full apology if its own diplomatic staff encountered similar incidents overseas in the future.
Masahiro Yamazaki, a history scholar, also criticized the government's handling of the case, calling the nature of the incident "grave."
"As the commander-in-chief of the SDF, shouldn't Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi offer an explanation?" Yamazaki said. "Will the matter be put to rest with nothing more than a statement of 'truly regrettable' from the Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara?"
He added that the way the Japanese government handles this matter could significantly affect the future developments of Japan-China relations and, therefore, warrants serious attention.
According to the Chinese embassy in Japan, a man claiming to be "an active-duty officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces" forcibly broke into the embassy by climbing over a wall on Tuesday morning, threatening to kill Chinese diplomatic personnel.
The embassy has lodged solemn representations and a strong protest with the Japanese side, demanding that Japan should provide a responsible explanation.
The Japanese police have transferred Kodai Murata, a second lieutenant in Japan's Ground SDF who was arrested earlier for forcibly breaking into the embassy, to prosecutors on suspicion of illegal entry on Thursday, according to Kyodo News.
