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Japan is preparing to send an economic delegation to Russia later this month in a move aimed at laying the groundwork for expanded business activity after the war in Ukraine ends, sources familiar with the plan said Friday.
The government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has proposed a two-day visit from May 26 for high-ranking representatives of major Japanese companies including trading house Mitsui & Co and shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd, according to the sources.
Mitsubishi Corp, another trading house, is also likely to join, the sources added.
The delegation is expected to meet senior officials from Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, the sources said.
The envisaged trip has drawn a cautious response from some Japanese companies as it would take place amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
Still, signs of renewed engagement between Tokyo and Moscow have begun to emerge. Earlier this month, Japan imported crude oil from Russia for the first time since the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which started in late February.
The imports underscored Japan’s vulnerability to disruptions in Middle Eastern energy supplies, as the country relies heavily on crude oil from the region, most of which transits through the strait.
In early April, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi both dismissed media reports that Japan was planning to send a business delegation to Russia.
In 2016, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed an economic cooperation plan to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Discussions later advanced on concrete projects in areas such as energy development and agriculture, before such talks were effectively frozen due to the Ukraine war.
Abe, known as Takaichi’s political mentor, pursued dialogue with Putin and met him 27 times during his tenure through 2020 in a bid to resolve a bilateral territorial dispute, but no breakthrough was achieved.
Japanese firms including Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co have withdrawn from or scaled back their operations in Russia.
In a related move, Japanese lawmaker Muneo Suzuki, who has longstanding ties with Russia, visited Moscow earlier this month and met with Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko. Suzuki quoted the latter as saying that Russia is open to holding foreign ministerial talks with Japan if Tokyo desires.
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isn’t any country doing business with Pootie and Russia….bad?
isn’t any country doing business with Pootie and Russia….bad?
That what I was led to believe.
All that time, effort and money Abe spent trying to woo Putin into giving back the Northern Islands…..Abe seriously cost Japan billions if not trillions of dollars.His Abenomics is costing each and every Japanese an arm and and a leg……yet Sanae is using that as blueprint for her economic policy.
isn’t any country doing business with Pootie and Russia….bad?
Everybody has been doing business with Russia, which makes the whole thing kind of a joke. Even Germany.
BlacklabelToday 04:24 pm JST
isn’t any country doing business with Pootie and Russia….bad?
The United States still conducts business with Russia, importing fertilizers, Uranium and radioactive isoptoes for nuclear reactors, Palladium, Platinum and other specialty metals, phosphates and polyphosphates, carbon and graphite products, etc.
So you tell me.
Most nations have drastically reduced their trade with Russia but it’s not 100%. The US used to do over USD 30 billion per year in trade with Russia prior to February 2022. It is now about USD 4-5 billion.
isn’t any country doing business with Pootie and Russia….bad?
It’s all about the money. At least in Japan there will be no 7 dollar per gallon gas like in the USA. It can’t be helped because of Trump and his losing the war with Iran. I agree it ain’t pretty. But what else can Japan do?
Classic Japan. We always conveniently forget the bad for a few extra bucks.
Since we changed the constitution, maybe we can sell them some weapons?
Omg, the MaGA types won’t like this
japan is only supposed to do business with the United States.
Excellent!! Truly Japan Is Back to it’s rightful place
Excellent!! Truly Japan Is Back to it’s rightful place
Yeah, at nearly ¥190 to the Euro.
Bravo.
Did anybody truly stop doing business with Russia?
@MiuraAnjin – The Constitution has not been ‘changed’ , what utter rubbish.
I’d be talking rubbish if I said I agree with what Russia is doing to Ukraine, I don’t, and I agree in supporting Ukraine but Russia is too big to simply ignore and would become dangerous if everybody did.
Good news. Russia should be our friend.
But what else can Japan do?
they can…wait for it…not…do business with Russia?
you know, if its really bad as has constantly been claimed here,
is it really bad?
Some European countries reduced their imports of Russian gas choosing to pay much more for US or Qatari gas. Some of their pensioners couldn’t afford to stay warm due to the much higher energy bills. Some also decided to buy Russian gas via India (now sanction free “Indian” oil) at a much higher cost than buying direct so they could feel good about themselves. This helped to cause higher inflation and misery in their country while Russia still got paid for their oil. Under sanctions, Japan cannot export new vehicles to Russia. But they can export to Kazakhstan and Georgia. Strangely exports to these countries that neighbor Russia have ballooned since the sanctions were imposed.
Western countries have been doing what suits their politicians (rather than their people), it is not a bad policy initiative for the Japanese government to do what suits its national interests.
When Japan needs oil then there is not any discrimination-anywhere will
do…
The Japanese government subsidizes gasoline, to keep it cheaper at the pump. Without that, how much would it cost? Countries in Europe were paying $7 and more per gallon, before Trump’s war.
If Putin is desperate for what Japan can offer, perhaps the delegation should remind him that he owes them some territory up north.
So you think Trump, Jarrod and the band of thieves don’t do business with Russia?
you know, its really bad as has been confirmed that US gas is 7 dollars per gallon
Agreed
Did I miss the part of the article that is relevant to the untrue US gas prices or Trump?
Wick’s pencilToday 06:16 pm JST
Good news. Russia should be our friend.
The country that continues to occupy Japan’s islands, that started the largest war in Europe since WWII, and whose leader is wanted for war crimes should be our “friend?”
Perhaps if you’re a Kremlin sympathizer.
Abe, known as Takaichi’s political mentor, pursued dialogue with Putin and met him 27 times during his tenure through 2020 in a bid to resolve a bilateral territorial dispute, but no breakthrough was achieved.
There is no “bilateral territorial dispute”. There is, however, one postwar construct that can’t accept the outcome of WWII, including the Yalta haircut (which superseded anything previous) and can’t admit they never ruled over it. Not to mention the phrase “northern territories” is a fictional postwar invention and they signed it over unconditionally.
Smart move Good for the two nations, best of luck.
Allegiances change
“All’s fair in love and war”
JJEToday 07:44 pm JST
There is no “bilateral territorial dispute”. There is, however, one postwar construct that can’t accept the outcome of WWII, including the Yalta haircut (which superseded anything previous) and can’t admit they never ruled over it. Not to mention the phrase “northern territories” is a fictional postwar invention and they signed it over unconditionally.
Therefore, the Soviets stole the islands, and Russia continues to illegally occupy them.
JJEToday 07:44 pm JST
Abe, known as Takaichi’s political mentor, pursued dialogue with Putin and met him 27 times during his tenure through 2020 in a bid to resolve a bilateral territorial dispute, but no breakthrough was achieved.
There is no “bilateral territorial dispute”. There is, however, one postwar construct that can’t accept the outcome of WWII, including the Yalta haircut
Don’t know why you’re cheerleading for Russia. If I were you I would be far more concerned about the the Russian territories of Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, Amur Oblast and Jewish Autonomous Oblast that Russia took from China (Qing Dynasty) through unfair treaties. Take a look at a map to see just how much land that is.
OssanAmericaToday 08:17 pm JST
Don’t know why you’re cheerleading for Russia. If I were you I would be far more concerned about the the Russian territories of Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, Amur Oblast and Jewish Autonomous Oblast that Russia took from China (Qing Dynasty) through unfair treaties. Take a look at a map to see just how much land that is.
I’m sure JJE is worried, but he’s not allowed to express that online because Russia is the junior partner to China.
The FSB is certainly worried:
…
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/leaked-russian-spy-memo-claims-china-plotting-secret-land-grab-inside-russian-borders/ar-AA1GozQT
A leaked document from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has sparked fears that China may be eyeing parts of its Far East for future annexation, including the vital port city of Vladivostok.
The eight-page memo paints a starkly different picture of the Kremlin’s public appearance with Beijing, exposing deep-seated concerns over Chinese territorial aspirations.
The report alleges that President Vladimir Putin’s security services are wary of China “trying to encroach” on Russian soil, masquerading as an effort to strengthen bilateral relations. Believed to have been written in late 2023 or early 2024, the FSB document was drafted by an intelligence unit not previously known and labels China as “the enemy”.
Another falsehood is the myth Japan shouldn’t have been stripped of territory after it surrendered unconditionally – all Axis offenders and collaborators took haircuts, with the barber going into 1947 (Paris Peace Treaties).
Consult article 3 of the Yalta agreement and it is pretty clear. Abundantly apparent there are no mysterious subclauses too. The price for entering the war against the Empire of Japan, three months after their ally Hitler topped himself in Berlin, was the entire chain of islands: not slice it like a sausage.
The phrase “northern territories” is a fictional postwar geographic construct.
If Putin is desperate for what Japan can offer, perhaps the delegation should remind him that he owes them some territory up north.
I think you may be mistaken. Russia is not desperate for anything from Japan. It is the other way around. Japan needs oil and gas. Russia has lots of both.
We know what the shipping line mentioned in the article is immensely interested in: the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic. This offers a way to Europe some 10 days less sailing time. Also free of chokepoints, no Suez canal and free of piracy and pirates because of the Northern Fleet. Also offers some of the juiciest resource and energy megaprojects that now make abundant sense with the Gulf on lockdown and diversification a watchword. And the Moscow administered tollbooth is very reasonable too, with the world’s largest fleet of icebreakers, including nuclear-powered ones.
There is, however, one significant hurdle put there by Tokyo itself: they need to get off Moscow’s unfriendly list first. This means unfreezing assets, dropping sanctions and compensation, not to mention an apology. It’s a no-brainer because Chinese companies are moving in too.
JJEToday 08:30 pm JST
Consult article 3 of the Yalta agreement and it is pretty clear.
Not very clear at all, since Article 3 is “Dismemberment of Germany.”
I think you mean point 3 of the section on Japan… which says what I state above.
It is completely clear that the Soviets stole the islands. And, unlike Japan, Russia hasn’t changed at all in the past 80+ years — you’re trying to do the same with Ukraine right now.
JJEToday 08:45 pm JST
It’s a no-brainer because Chinese companies are moving in too.
Well, since you’re their junior partner, you must let them.
That is the problem when you subjugate yourself, surrender your sovereignty in today’s world. To solve/fix the problem? Begin by reclaiming your sovereignty.
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Highlights from the CJPF Award Ceremony
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