Kodai Murata leaves the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and is transferred to the public prosecutor's office on March 26, 2026. Photo: Screenshot from media reports

It has been two days since a member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces intruded into the Chinese Embassy in Japan, wielding a knife. To date, the Japanese government has not even offered a simple "apology," and its response has merely been "very regrettable." Such a dismissive attitude stands in stark contrast to the extremely grave nature of the incident. Behind the word "regrettable" lies a disregard for obligations under international law, an erosion of the foundation of China-Japan relations, and, even more dangerously, a condoning of far-right ideologies and forces.

The perpetrator, Kodai Murata, is a serving second lieutenant in Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, a rank "equivalent to a military officer." A member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces trespassing into a foreign diplomatic mission and issuing violent threats - such an horrific act is unheard of since the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations. In the face of China's strong démarches, Japan's response has been extremely feeble and perfunctory, openly and covertly attempting to frame the issue as "individual behavior." Such attempts to distance themselves and shift blame are utterly untenable. 

In the face of actions that gravely threatened the safety of the embassy staff, disrupted the peaceful life in the embassy, and impaired its dignity, the Japanese side has even avoided mentioning its failure to fulfill its security obligations to uphold the inviolability of diplomatic premises and personnel under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Instead, it argued that "the police have long provided necessary security measures for the Chinese embassy."

Even more shocking is the Japanese side's attitude toward the perpetrator. Although the suspect has been arrested and handed over to the Japanese Public Prosecutors Office, Japan's Ministry of Defense had previously claimed that there were "no particular problems" with Murata's "behavior or work attitude at the workplace," failing to issue any public reprimand or review its own responsibility for oversight and training failures. Some Japanese media outlets quoted the perpetrator as saying that his reason for intruding into the embassy was "to talk with the Chinese ambassador." Climbing over the wall with an 18-centimeter knife without permission - is that what you call "talking"? This is a blatant threat of violence. Behind the media's attempts to whitewash this extreme behavior lies a dangerous trajectory in which far-right ideology has evolved from being tacitly accepted and indulged to gradually spiraling out of control. Murata did not appear out of thin air; he is the bitter fruit of the Japanese government's failure to properly supervise and control its Self-Defense Forces members, as well as the long-term infiltration and incitement by Japan's far-right forces.

On the day of the incident, reports emerged that Japan planned to downgrade its relations with China in its 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook from "one of the most important" to instead describing China as an "important neighbor," in an attempt to project a tough stance toward China. However, it still intends to retain the phrases "strategic" and "mutually beneficial." Meanwhile, the document is set to delete a reference to "Japan's security" regarding the Taiwan Straits, while retaining the statement that "peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits are important for the international community." This "fine-tuning" of language appears to be a "tactical retreat" made by Japan out of concern for real geopolitical and economic pressures, following the sharp deterioration of China-Japan relations caused by erroneous remarks on the Taiwan question previously made by the Japanese leader. At its core, this is still a game of words that sidesteps the real issues and shifts the focus, and it will only gradually erode the political foundation of mutual trust between China and Japan.

The logic behind Tokyo's "refusal to apologize" to this day is not hard to discern: Domestically, it seeks to project a tough image, cater to right-wing and populist sentiment, and consolidate the Sanae Takaichi administration's core support base; externally, it aims to downplay the international impact in an attempt to muddle through and evade legal and political responsibility. Once a formal apology is issued, it would amount to admitting serious failures in security, Self-Defense Forces management, and even political direction, which is something the Japanese government is unwilling to acknowledge.

However, has the Japanese government seriously calculated the consequences of evading responsibility? If it continues to brush the matter aside with the exact phrase "very regrettable" while refusing to apologize, China-Japan relations are likely to deteriorate further. A country that cannot guarantee the security of foreign embassies on its own soil and refuses to take responsibility will see its international credibility fundamentally shaken. The issue of losing control over the Self-Defense Forces will further raise doubts within the international community about Japan's identity as a "peace-loving nation." Historically, Japanese militarism once dragged Asia into the abyss; today, Japan again stands at a crossroads where a neo-militarism could gain momentum. A sincere apology and severe punishment are not merely an account of the embassy intrusion incident; it is also a touchstone for whether the Japanese government is willing to pursue a path of peaceful development.

In the face of this extremely vicious embassy intrusion, the Japanese side should not think for a moment that it can get away with it in the eyes of the international community. The Japanese government must issue a formal apology, immediately conduct a thorough investigation, and severely punish those responsible, providing a responsible explanation to China. This is not only an obligation to China, but also a responsibility to Japan's own future. 

If Japan refuses to fulfill even the most basic norms of diplomatic protocol and obligations under international law, then there would be no point in discussing the so-called improvement of China-Japan relations or maintaining the strategic relationship of mutual benefit.