Ex-GSDF member admits trespassing at Chinese embassy in Tokyo
According to the indictment, Kodai Murata, 24, entered the embassy grounds on March 24 carrying a kitchen knife with an 18-centimeter blade.
In a court hearing on Thursday, a former Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force member confessed to trespassing at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo. Kodai Murata, who was 24 at the time, is accused of entering the embassy grounds on March 24 with a kitchen knife measuring 18 centimeters. The indictment states that Murata approached embassy staff with a note, stating that a distinguished Japanese citizen would execute them on behalf of deities.
During the trial, Murata expressed his belief that the Chinese government's diplomatic approach was overly aggressive and needed to be addressed. He claimed that his decision to trespass stemmed from a dream in which a deity informed him that China underestimated Japan and urged him to confront them. The defense team intends to challenge the charge of threatening.
Murata, who had served in Camp Ebino in Miyazaki Prefecture, was dismissed for disciplinary reasons in August.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
