With Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka flexing her muscles over the ministry's personnel affairs, bureaucrats have begun a counterattack, questioning her diplomatic judgment.
Among their complaints is that Tanaka not only canceled a planned meeting with visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage this week, but tried to keep Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi from meeting with him as well.
Armitage discussed U.S. President George W. Bush's new missile defense strategy with Deputy Foreign Minister Ryozo Kato during his visit to Japan on Monday and Tuesday. He was also scheduled to meet Tanaka on Tuesday afternoon but ended up meeting only senior vice foreign ministers.