The move by Fumio Kishida on Tuesday comes as the number of Chinese coast guard ships around the islands has almost quadrupled over the past few days.
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Kishida told Ambassador Cheng Yonghua that the ships must leave the area, saying their presence has escalated tensions between the two countries.
“We can not accept that (China) is taking actions that unilaterally raise tensions”.
Construction are seen on Subi Reef in the Spratly islands, in the disputed South China Sea in this July 24, 2016 satellite image released by the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to Reuters on August 9, 2016.
In the South China Sea, Japan has no claims and China recently rejected warned Japan not to interfere.
The foreign minister said the repeated infiltration and unilateral attempt to change the status quo were unacceptable but Cheng later told reporters that the islands, which are controlled by Japan, were an “integral part of China’s territory”.
According to Japan Foreign Ministry sources, the number of Chinese fishing boats operating near the Chinese government vessels also increased. “Please understand that it’s an effort by the Chinese side to avoid further complications to the situation”.
On August 8, a U.S. think-tank published satellite photographs it said showed that China had built hangars for dozens of military aircraft including jet fighters and bombers on three of its artificial islands in the Spratlys.
In the wake of a court of arbitration ruling on China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, Japan – which places importance on the rule of law – has repeatedly demanded China accept the ruling and resolve territorial disputes peacefully.
Japan’s Kyodo News reported Monday that Japan wants “high-level” talks with China over the incursions as they have not stopped despite Tokyo’s protests.
China has refused to recognise last month’s tribunal decision.
Vietnam along with several other countries have shown support for the arbitration court’s verdict, calling on China to respect the ruling.
Philippine-Chinese ties have frayed in recent years due to growing tensions over conflicting claims in the South China Sea. Instead, China has blamed USA patrols and exercises for ramping up tension.
Since then, Beijing has launched air patrols over the South China Sea, said it would consider declaring an air defense zone and vowed to continue work on man-made islands created from piling sand atop coral reefs in the highly contested Spratly group.
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Some 230 Chinese fishing vessels and seven coast guard ships, including four apparently carrying weapons, sailed into waters close to the disputed island on Sunday.
