Taiwan's Central Election Commission formally announced this week that a record nine referendums will be held in conjunction with next month's nationwide local elections, one of which is on whether to maintain a ban imposed on food products from five Japanese prefectures after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.
Japan's de facto ambassador to Taiwan, Mikio Numata, last week expressed disappointment over the vote scheduled for Nov. 24, saying that the issue has become a political tool of the party that initiated it, referring to the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).
As it is unusual for Japan's diplomatic mission to comment on Taiwanese affairs, Numata's press release suggests that Tokyo is becoming impatient over the continuation of the ban long after it has been lifted elsewhere.