Japan regrets, China fumes as man who stormed Chinese embassy in Japan ‘planned to kill...'

A day after a man claiming to be a Japanese soldier forcefully attempted entering the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, Japan has said that the incident was “regrettable". Japan’s top government spokesman Minoru Kihara said that investigation on the matter is underway. This comes after China lodged strong protest over the incident and raised the issue of safety with the Japanese government. Beijing also said that the incident showed rise of new militarism in Japan. Soon after Japanese statement, China urged Japan to “bring the full weight of law” against the perpetrator. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the incident threatened diplomatic security and warned of rising far-right and militarist trends.

Government spokesman Minoru Kihara was quoted by AFP saying, “It is truly regrettable that a Self-Defence Forces member, who is expected to comply with the law, has been arrested on suspicion” of entering the embassy premises. "Police are already conducting an investigation to clarify what happened and have implemented necessary measures to strengthen security of the embassy. We will take necessary steps to prevent any recurrence of such incidents," he told a press conference.

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A police spokeswoman was also quoted by AFP saying that the suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Kodai Murata. Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun also reported that he was arrested for trespassing. He allegedly told investigators he wanted to meet the Chinese ambassador and, if refused, planned to kill himself inside the embassy. A knife was also reportedly found at the scene.

"The suspect told police investigators that he was hoping to meet the ambassador to tell him to refrain from making hardline remarks, and if that request was rejected, I wanted to surprise him by killing myself,” the Yomiuri Shimbun reported, citing unnamed sources.

What was the incident?

An individual claiming to be an active-duty officer of Japan's Self-Defense Forces reportedly scaled the wall and forcibly entered the Chinese embassy in Japan on Tuesday (Mar 24), prompting the Chinese foreign ministry to issue a sharp reaction. Speaking at a news briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian expressed his country's deep shock over the incident and informed that China has lodged a strong protest with the Japanese side. The ministry did not reveal the identify of the person or their gender. Stating that the incident threatens the personal safety of Chinese diplomatic personnel and the security of diplomatic facilities in Japan, he slammed the Japanese government, claiming that “erroneous policies” of the Takaichi-led government is the major cause of concern in the Sino-Japanese relations. Jian said that the case reflected the rampant growth of far-right thinking and forces in Japan, adding that the resurgence of militarism had become a serious danger.

China and Japan tensions

China and Japan have been embroiled diplomatic faceoff after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi linked a hypothetical Taiwan contingency with the possible deployment of Japanese forces. On Nov 14, 2025, Takaichi was asked by an opposition lawmaker in parliament about “survival-threatening situations.” In response, Takaichi gave an example that an attempt to bring Taiwan completely under the control of Beijing using battleships and military force could constitute such a situation. Beijing condemned the remarks as a challenge to its sovereignty, triggering a diplomatic fallout. In response, Japan returns pandas to China, while Beijing reimposes a ban on Japanese seafood, issues travel warnings, and raises the issue at the UN, demanding an apology. Tourism from China to Japan also drops sharply.