A defence ministry spokesman said General Toshio Tamogami 'retired as of Monday' at the age of 60, two years early.

General Tamogami was relieved of his post on Friday over the essay, in which he wrote it 'is certainly a false accusation to say that our country was an aggressor nation'.

China, the two Koreas and other Asian nations, which still have painful memories of Japan's aggression and colonial rule, strongly reacted to his claims.

The Japanese defence ministry originally planned to postpone General Tamogami's retirement until the end of this month and hold hearings with him over the essay, Jiji Press reported.

But the ministry forced him to retire because he refused to cooperate for such hearings, it said. -- AFP