He was just too blond (well, platinum white) and blue-eyed, according to Japan’s foreign minister:
Japan Minister Raps “Blond” Diplomats in Mideast
By REUTERS
Filed at 8:22 a.m. ETTOKYO, March 22 (Reuters) – Blond, blue-eyed Westerners probably can’t be as successful at Middle East diplomacy as Japanese with their “yellow faces,” Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso was quoted by media as saying on Wednesday.
“Japan is doing what Americans can’t do,” the Nikkei business daily quoted the gaffe-prone Aso as saying in a speech.
“Japanese are trusted. If (you have) blue eyes and blond hair, it’s probably no good,” he said.
“Luckily, we Japanese have yellow faces.”
Awesome.