The Italian government has appointed Mario Vattani as its new ambassador to Japan, closing a circle that began with one of the most notorious far‑right scandals in the country’s diplomatic history.
Fifteen years ago, Vattani was filmed on stage at a CasaPound rally in Rome, fronting a ‘fascio‑rock’ band under the stage name “Katanga”, singing Bandiera nera complete with fascist salutes and Celtic crosses.
At the time he was Italy’s consul in Osaka. The footage caused uproar, and the Foreign Ministry hauled him back to Rome, suspended him, and effectively froze his career.
Prestigious posting
That period of “purgatory”, as Italian papers described it, is now firmly over. Vattani’s appointment to Tokyo, considered one of Italy’s most prestigious diplomatic postings, was finalised on the 160th anniversary of Italy‑Japan relations being formalised.
The move had been expected since early 2024, when the Council of Ministers elevated him to the elite rank of “ambassador of grade”, a status held by only two dozen diplomats.
Vattani, now 59, is the son of Umberto Vattani, one of the most powerful figures in the Italian diplomatic establishment during the Andreotti era.
Far-right subcultures
His own political history has long been intertwined with Rome’s far‑right subcultures.
As a young man he moved in neo‑fascist circles; in 1989 he was among a group of neo‑Nazi skinheads arrested after a violent assault outside a Rome cinema. He was later cleared of criminal charges, but paid substantial compensation to the victims.
His musical alter ego, Katanga, became a fixture of the ‘fascio‑rock scene’. The 2011 CasaPound performance cemented his public image as the “fascio‑rock consul”.
After his suspension, he retreated to Tuscany, producing olive oil with his Japanese wife, dabbling in far‑right electoral politics, and publishing novels and travel writing about Japan.
Rehabilitation came in 2021, when the Draghi government promoted him to ambassador in Singapore, despite protests from anti‑fascist groups and centre‑left parties. A year later he was appointed as Italy’s commissioner for Expo 2025 in Osaka, a role accompanied by a generous salary increase.
Secret donor
Fresh controversy erupted in 2025 with the publication of The Secret Book of CasaPound, which alleged that Vattani had belonged to a select circle of donors and sympathisers who provided ideas and funds to the neo‑fascist movement.
Opposition MPs demanded explanations. Vattani denied any involvement, but the government offered no clarification.
Despite the unanswered questions, his promotion to Tokyo has now been sealed – a decision which reflects the growing normalisation of far‑right networks within Italy’s state institutions.
