Japan on Wednesday closed its embassy in Syria and withdrew all diplomatic staff amid the worsening security situation, the Foreign Ministry said.
The embassy's staff was moved to Jordan, from where Japan's operations for Syria will be carried out for the time being, the ministry said.
Many other major countries, including Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United States, have already shut their embassies in Damascus as Syrian President Bashar Assad steps up attacks on civilians.
Last April, Japan advised its nationals to leave Syria. But there are still about 35 Japanese citizens in the violence-torn country, according to a ministry official.