TOKYO, Apr 05 (AFR) - Japan is replacing its outspoken ambassador to Australia, Shingo Yamagami, with a long-serving diplomat who is the country’s current top diplomat in Turkey.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement that it had ordered Mr Yamagami to return to Tokyo. It said he would be replaced by Kazuhiro Suzuki, who has been Japan’s ambassador to Turkey since October 2020.
Mr Yamagami confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday that he was preparing to leave Australia. It is believed he will depart this month and that his replacement has started interviewing new chefs for the embassy.
Diplomatic sources said Mr Yamagami was leaving his post earlier than expected, but it was unclear whether the use of the word “ordered” by MOFA was confirmation that he had been recalled or not.
Mr Yamagami has been described as a maverick in diplomatic circles and unusually outspoken for a Japanese diplomat. His style has been both praised and criticised in Canberra, where he has taken a strong public stance on China’s growing power in the region and Tokyo’s concerns about energy security. ...continue reading
