TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Morihisa Aoki, who was Japan's ambassador to Peru when a hostage crisis took place at the ambassador's residence in 1996-1997, has died, his family said Monday. He was 85.

Aoki died on Saturday at his residence in Tokyo due to a bone marrow disease, according to the family.

Heavily armed leftist guerrillas stormed into the ambassador's residence in Lima where Aoki was hosting a reception on Dec. 17, 1996, taking more than 600 people hostage including Aoki. Peru's military ended the crisis on April 22, 1997 by force.

Aoki joined the Foreign Ministry in 1963 and was appointed ambassador to Peru in 1994. After assuming other posts including ambassador to Kenya, he retired from the ministry in 2001.