Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasha Hayashi said in a statement today that bricks were thrown at the embassy building in Beijing.
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that the incident occurred on August 24, when the wastewater discharge began. While it was stated in the report that the person who threw the brick was a Chinese citizen and was detained by the police, the identity of the attacker was not shared.
It was stated that the embassy building was not damaged and no employee was injured in the incident.
Hayashi demanded that the authorities “take measures to prevent the increase in tension and ensure the safety of Japanese citizens in China”. The minister also accused the Beijing administration of misinforming the public about the wastewater discharge process.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Wenbin said in a statement today that security at the embassy building has been increased.
On the other hand, the minister blamed Japan for what happened and said, “They ignored the objections of the international community and started the process of draining the water. This caused anger all over the world. This is the main reason for the current situation.”
Harassment phones
Fukushima Mayor Hiroshi Kohata also said on Saturday that the municipality received 200 harassment calls in one day. Kohata stated that most of the numbers carry the +86 dialing code for China.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, also reported that more than 6,000 calls have been received from China since the evacuation began.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry summoned Vu Cianghao, the Chinese Ambassador to Tokyo, yesterday after the blood pressure increased. The ministry said the incidents “raise great concern”.
Eggs and stones thrown at schools
According to NHK, a stone was thrown at the garden of a Japanese school in Kingdao in China’s Shantung province on August 24.
The next day, an egg was thrown at a Japanese school in Suzhou city in Jiangsu province.
While NHK stated that the students were not injured in the incidents, it did not share information about the identity of the attackers.
What happened?
The discharge of radioactive waste water from Fukushima into the ocean on August 24 created much controversy.
The Beijing administration reacted to the decision and suspended the import of seafood from Japan.
In the first phase, it is planned to discharge 7,800 tons of waste water into the ocean within 17 days, and to complete the discharge of 31,200 tons of radioactive waste water in total by March next year.
The International Atomic Energy Agency reported on July 4 that the discharge of wastewater complied with safety standards, following its inspections at the plant.
The tsunami caused by the earthquake in March 2011 damaged three of the 4 reactors at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, and the people living in the area around the power plant were evacuated.