Overview
- - Police arrested 3rd Lt. Murata Akihiro, 23, on suspicion of entering the grounds of the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on a building trespass charge.
- - The Defense Ministry identified his unit as the Ebino garrison in Miyazaki Prefecture and said it had no reports of past problems with his conduct.
- - Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the arrest deeply regrettable, said the ministry is cooperating with investigators, and pledged strict action once facts are set.
- - China’s defense ministry said the case shows extreme-right ideology in Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and demanded a thorough probe and punishment.
- - China’s foreign ministry urged Chinese nationals to avoid travel to Japan, a step that could curb trips and heighten friction over an incident on sensitive diplomatic premises.