A senior Japanese diplomat who left the Foreign Ministry on Aug. 29 is planning to challenge the ministry as he believes he was "virtually fired" due to his opposition to Japan supporting the U.S.-led war on Iraq, the ex-diplomat told Kyodo News in a recent interview.
Naoto Amaki, who was the ambassador to Lebanon until August, said he was told to retire "apparently as a virtual punishment for my opinions," which he presented to the ministry before and after the war began March 20, an allegation dismissed by ministry officials.
It is rare for a career diplomat to take issue with Foreign Ministry affairs.