Japan's envoy escapes injury in stone-throwing incident

Japan's envoy escapes injury in stone-throwing incident

SEOUL, South Korea - Security officials seize a man (C) who threw a stone at Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie during a question-and-answer session after an address by Shigeie in Seoul on July 7, 2010. The man was found to be carrying leaflets of a political group that asserts South Korea's sovereignty over a pair of islets disputed between the two countries.

S. Korea irked by Japan's textbooks calling islets Japanese

S. Korea irked by Japan's textbooks calling islets Japanese

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan (R) summons Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie (L) to his office to deliver a strong protest after the Japanese education ministry approved history textbooks for elementary schools that describe a pair of South Korea-controlled islets claimed by Japan as Japanese territory. Yu demanded that Japan retract the approval.

S. Korea calls on Japan not to claim disputed islets

S. Korea calls on Japan not to claim disputed islets

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan (L) meets with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul on May 19 over Japan's plan to mention its sovereignty over disputed islets in the Sea of Japan in Japanese educational guidelines.

Japan's renewed claim on disputed islets draws S. Korea's ire

Japan's renewed claim on disputed islets draws S. Korea's ire

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan (R) meets with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie (L) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul on May 19 over Japan's plan to mention its sovereignty over disputed islets in the Sea of Japan in Japanese educational guidelines. South Korea demanded that the Japanese government withdraw the plan immediately.

Japan picks Okinawa envoy to be new ambassador to S. Korea

Japan picks Okinawa envoy to be new ambassador to S. Korea

TOKYO, Japan - Japan has decided to appoint Toshinori Shigeie (file photo), ambassador in charge of Okinawan affairs, as the country's top envoy to South Korea, government sources said June 20. His appointment will be formally decided on by the Cabinet soon. He is expected to assume his post sometime in August, the sources said.

Suzuki said to have pressured Foreign Ministry to bar NGOs

Suzuki said to have pressured Foreign Ministry to bar NGOs

TOKYO, Japan - Muneo Suzuki, a senior lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, smiles as he walks in the Diet building in Tokyo on Jan. 28. Toshinori Shigeie, a senior Foreign Ministry official, admitted that Suzuki had pressured the ministry to bar two nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from an international Afghan donor conference.

Senior Foreign Ministry official admits Suzuki's role

Senior Foreign Ministry official admits Suzuki's role

TOKYO, Japan - Toshinori Shigeie, director general of the Foreign Ministry's Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, admits at the House of Representatives' Budget Committee in the Diet in Tokyo on Jan. 28 that Muneo Suzuki, a senior lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, pressured the ministry to bar two Japanese nongovernmental organizations from an international donors' conference on Afghanistan.

Suzuki said to have pressured Foreign Ministry to bar NGOs

Suzuki said to have pressured Foreign Ministry to bar NGOs

TOKYO, Japan - Muneo Suzuki, a senior lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, smiles as he walks in the Diet building in Tokyo on Jan. 28. Toshinori Shigeie, a senior Foreign Ministry official, admitted that Suzuki had pressured the ministry to bar two nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from an international Afghan donor conference.

Japan picks Okinawa envoy to be new ambassador to S. Korea

Japan picks Okinawa envoy to be new ambassador to S. Korea

TOKYO, Japan - Japan has decided to appoint Toshinori Shigeie (file photo), ambassador in charge of Okinawan affairs, as the country's top envoy to South Korea, government sources said June 20. His appointment will be formally decided on by the Cabinet soon. He is expected to assume his post sometime in August, the sources said. (Kyodo)

Japan envoy to S. Korea says islet row must not harm close ties

Japan envoy to S. Korea says islet row must not harm close ties

SEOUL, South Korea - With media representatives looking on, Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie (L) meets with South Korean Foreign Minister Yoo Myung Hwan to hear a South Korean protest over Japan's description of two disputed islets in the Sea of Japan as part of its territory. Shigeie said the issue must not be allowed to harm bilateral ties. (Kyodo)

Japan's renewed claim on disputed islets draws S. Korea's ire

Japan's renewed claim on disputed islets draws S. Korea's ire

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan (R) meets with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie (L) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul on May 19 over Japan's plan to mention its sovereignty over disputed islets in the Sea of Japan in Japanese educational guidelines. South Korea demanded that the Japanese government withdraw the plan immediately. (Kyodo)

S. Korea calls on Japan not to claim disputed islets

S. Korea calls on Japan not to claim disputed islets

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan (L) meets with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul on May 19 over Japan's plan to mention its sovereignty over disputed islets in the Sea of Japan in Japanese educational guidelines. (Kyodo)

Japan congratulates S. Korean President-elect Lee

Japan congratulates S. Korean President-elect Lee

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President-elect Lee Myung Bak (L) shakes hands with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie at the headquarters of the Grand National Party in Seoul. Shigeie conveyed to Lee congratulatory messages from Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura. (Pool photo by Kyodo News)

Japan's envoy escapes injury in stone-throwing incident

Japan's envoy escapes injury in stone-throwing incident

SEOUL, South Korea - Security officials seize a man (C) who threw a stone at Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie during a question-and-answer session after an address by Shigeie in Seoul on July 7, 2010. The man was found to be carrying leaflets of a political group that asserts South Korea's sovereignty over a pair of islets disputed between the two countries. (Kyodo)

S. Korea irked by Japan's textbooks calling islets Japanese

S. Korea irked by Japan's textbooks calling islets Japanese

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan (R) summons Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie (L) to his office to deliver a strong protest after the Japanese education ministry approved history textbooks for elementary schools that describe a pair of South Korea-controlled islets claimed by Japan as Japanese territory. Yu demanded that Japan retract the approval. (Kyodo)

New Japanese ambassadors appointed

New Japanese ambassadors appointed

TOKYO, Japan - Ambassadorial and other Foreign Ministry appointments approved by the cabinet on Feb. 15 are shown in these file photos. Pictured in the upper row (from left) are Motoi Okubo (ambassador to Greece), Sadaaki Numata (ambassador to Pakistan) and Hideaki Kobayashi (ambassador to the United Nations). Pictured in the bottom row (from left) are Toshinori Shigeie (envoy extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the United States) and Ryuichiro Yamazaki (Foreign Ministry spokesman).