Taking bold steps to rebuild the Foreign Ministry after a series of scandals involving diplomats is the top priority for the new head of the bureaucracy, Vice Foreign Minister Yoshiji Nogami.
"We must take every step we can as soon as possible . . . including changing accounting procedures, changing the mind-set of ministry staff and stepping up inspection systems," Nogami said in an interview Friday.
Nogami, 59, the former deputy foreign minister in charge of economic affairs, said it is embarrassing that the ministry is being criticized for undermining Japan's diplomacy due to the scandals and infighting with its minister.