The Japanese are not accustomed to being the target of violent attacks abroad, so the storming of the Japanese ambassador's residence in Peru shocked the nation. The raid by rebels took place during a party to celebrate the Emperor's birthday.

This year there haven't been official parties in Peru or Bolivia. The embassies in both countries believed it was safer to keep a low profile.

In Japan, celebrations will go ahead as usual. The gates of the Imperial Palace Gardens in the centre of Tokyo will be thrown open to the public and thousands will crowd in to pay their respects to the Emperor.

He will make an appearance on a balcony. But last year even that was cancelled for safety reasons and so was a birthday banquet, deemed disrespectful to those in captivity.

Security at Japanese embassies around the world has been tightened since the siege. The prime minister, Ryutaro Hashimoto, has written to survivors of the ordeal and to families of those who died.

For the new ambassador to Lima, life is very restricted. Yoshizo Konishi says he is accompanied by police wherever he goes.

He says he needs to be alert, but not overly sensitive. The Peru crisis opened the eyes of many Japanese to their vulnerability abroad.