Tokyo: Japan's newly appointed Ambassador to China Shinichi Nishimiya fell unconscious Thursday morning on a street in Tokyo, police said, adding that the sudden fainting was caused by illness.
Nishimiya's appointment was approved by the government Tuesday to replace current Japanese Ambassador Uichiro Niwa, at a time when the two countries are embroiled in a dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea, media reports said.
A passerby saw the 60-year-old Nishimiya faint on a street in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, reported Xinhua.
Nishimiya was taken to hospital, said police.
As deputy foreign minister in charge of economic affairs, Nishimiya had until recently been making arrangements with other countries in relation to the just-concluded summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vladivostok, Russia.
A newly appointed ambassador usually begins work in the designated country within 40 days of the appointment after being briefed by his or her predecessor, according to the Japanese foreign ministry.
IANS
First Published: Thursday, September 13, 2012, 13:29