A senior Japanese academic and Sino-Japanese friendship leader is pressing the Japanese government to issue a formal public apology to Beijing over a deeply alarming breach of diplomatic protocol that took place in late March. Hisashi Inoue, honorary professor at Surugadai University and chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Association, has labeled the March 24 incident — where an active officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces forced entry into the Chinese Embassy in Japan while armed with a knife — an extraordinarily severe violation of long-established international diplomatic norms. Inoue emphasized that the incident, which shocked diplomatic circles on both sides, constitutes a clear and grave breach of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a foundational international treaty that guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic mission premises and the safety of diplomatic staff. As of the report’s update on April 1, 2026, the Japanese government has not extended a formal apology to China over the intrusion, only issuing a vague expression of regret over the event. Inoue argues that this mild, indirect response is wholly insufficient to address the severity of the incident and the risks it poses to bilateral ties. The long-time advocate for friendly Japan-China relations is calling on Japan’s top elected leader, the prime minister, and the country’s defense minister to deliver a formal, public apology to the Chinese government over the unacceptable incursion.