Shaking hands while sitting, missing a group photo...Prime Minister Ishiba's 'diplomatic inexperience' controversy

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office last month, was criticized at a recent summit in South America for his inexperienced diplomatic manners.

Yomiuri and Sankei newspapers said Prime Minister Ishiba has been seen shaking hands with the leaders of other countries standing in chairs several times and has shown lack of diplomatic experience, such as missing group photos.

An official from Japan's Foreign Ministry pointed out that the new prime minister usually had to walk around saying hello first, and that he should have helped around him.

Prime Minister Ishiba's handshake with President Xi Jinping with both hands caused a stir in Japan at the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping held on the occasion of the APEC summit on the 15th.

In diplomatic rituals, it is common for both people to shake hands with their right hands in order to show equal appearance between the leaders.

A Japanese government official said the habit appeared to have come out when shaking hands with voters on the campaign trail.