The "shunju" (spring and autumn) column on the first page of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun often contains comments that are right on target. The Jan. 27 column commented on the sometimes arrogant and unwarranted demands made by Japanese politicians on Japanese diplomats in missions abroad.
Some Japanese politicians seem to expect diplomats to act as their personal lackeys when they travel abroad. They often do little more to justify their visits than make brief courtesy calls, and make little or no contribution to "parliamentary diplomacy." Their main concerns while they are abroad seem to be collecting quantities of presents to distribute in their constituencies and sending hundreds or thousands of postcards to constituents.
Ambassadors are called "excellency," putting them theoretically on a par with ministers, but in Japanese missions ambassadors and their staffs have to kowtow even to ordinary members of the Diet. If they don't, their future careers and postings may be prejudiced by complaints to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that "so and so did not pay sufficient respect."