Japan's ambassador to China Masato Kitera says his job is an uphill battle

Masato Kitera, Japan's ambassador to China, says he faces an uphill diplomatic battle after trying for more than a year to bridge the escalating differences between Asia's two major powers.

Despite his best efforts to make friends since arriving in Beijing in December 2012, the veteran diplomat said he had enjoyed little luck in engaging senior Chinese leaders, other than officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"I have visited many places and have tried to meet as many Chinese people as possible. However, to me, meeting Chinese leaders is still very difficult," Kitera said. "I have put my effort over the last year into improving the relationship between Japan and China, but it is not easy."

Kitera was faced on arrival with strained Sino-Japanese ties after Japan said in September 2012 that it would purchase three of the disputed Diaoyu Islands - known as the Senkakus in Japan - from their Japanese owner.

The relationship between the countries continued to deteriorate after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine that honours 14 Class A war criminals in December, prompting Foreign Minister Wang Yi to summon Kitera to lodge a formal protest.

Beijing later named Abe an "unwelcome" person - a remark widely seen as an indication that it had ruled out high-level dialogue with Tokyo.