In what may be a sign of renewed frictions between key Cabinet figures, Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka on Wednesday launched a private advisory panel on diplomatic issues.
The move comes as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is planning to set up a similar team of his own.
Koizumi's aides said last week that the prime minister will begin holding informal talks with diplomatic experts on a regular basis. Koizumi's team will be headed by Yukio Okamoto, a former Foreign Ministry official who is now a private consultant on foreign affairs.