Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka kicked up some more dust Wednesday by ordering the former chief of the Financial Affairs Division to return to his post despite being named minister to France earlier in the week.

Tanaka, who called a news conference in the morning only to cancel it, told reporters later in the day that she has frozen the transfer of Masato Kitera because "it was against his wishes."

The outspoken minister declared on Tuesday that she would put a freeze on all personnel changes and ordered the return of Jiro Kodera, the former head of the ministry's Russia Division, to his post. Kodera had been named minister to Britain.