Sasakawa Yohei, honorary chairman of The Nippon Foundation, one of Japan’s biggest charities, is visiting Russia. He has signed a coop agreement with the Skolkovo School of Management & met Patriarch Kirill. He will also sign coop agreement with Russia’s Valdai Club. www.sankei.com/article/2025...

Japan cuts price cap on Russian oil to $47.60 in additional sanction. The measure is symbolic since the small amount of Russian oil that Japan continues to buy is from Sakhalin-2. Japan's purchases of oil from Sakhalin-2 are exempt from the price cap. www.reuters.com/business/ene...

In the first 8 months of 2025, Russia imported 131,500 used cars from Japan, a 10% decline from the same period in 2024. The most popular brand is Toyota (33.7%), followed by Honda (30.5%). 30% of the vehicles are more than 10 years old.

Russia warns Japan of retaliation after Tokyo’s decision on 12 Sept to impose additional sanctions. MFA’s Zakharova says that Russia’s countermeasures will include “asymmetric” measures.

Long queues continue outside the Japanese embassy in Moscow as Russians apply for tourist visas. Unlike many Western countries, Japan continues to make tourist visas freely available for Russians. As a result, there’s been a jump in Russian tourists visiting Japan. news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0de...

Russia’s Federal Investigative Committee announces completion of investigations into 177 foreigners who have served with Ukrainian military. They include one Japanese, named elsewhere as Tainaka Takao. Aged 38 & from Osaka, he’s been volunteering for UKR since May ‘22. www.sankei.com/article/2025...

On 16 Sept, 4 Russian naval ships transited the Soya Strait & entered the Sea of Japan. The ships are an Udaloi-class destroyer, a Steregushchii-class corvette, a Ropucha-class landing ship, & an Aleksandrit minesweeper. The SDF is keeping the ships under surveillance. www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/2025/...

Russia-Japan bilateral trade fell 12.5% in August 2025 compared with the same month last year. Japan’s purchases of Russian LNG and coal were down 33.2% and 44.9% respectively.

Japan reluctant to concede to US pressure to impose high tariffs on China & India for importing Russian oil. Justice Minister Kato cites WTO rules, saying: “It would be difficult to impose high tariffs on a particular country solely because it imports RU crude." www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1211...

A Russian Vishnya-class intelligence-gathering ship (hull no. 208) has been active again near Japan. It entered Japan’s contiguous waters near Miyakejima (Tokyo) on 9 Sept, then entered Japan’s contiguous waters near Okinawa on 13-15 Sept. www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/2025/...

EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath will visit Tokyo from 16 Sept. He encourages Japan to contribute to the process of bringing Russia to justice for its invasion of Ukraine. www.yomiuri.co.jp/economy/2025...

Japan has approved further sanctions on Russia. An additional 51 groups and 14 individuals will be subject to asset freezes. Separately, a further 11 Russian, Chinese, & Turkish groups will be subject to export bans. www.47news.jp/13145353.html

Japan downgrades its advice against visiting Russia. The travel advisory will remain at Level 3 but JPN will recognise the legitimacy of travel to RU for business & study purposes. The change follows requests from JPN firms, such as those involved in Sakhalin-2. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1210...

On 10 Sept, CCS Hayashi confirmed closure of the 6 Japan Centres in Russia. The Japan Centres, which were funded by JPN’s govt, provided language classes to locals. Their closure follows pressure from the RU authorities, incl. prosecution of one manager. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1209...

On 8 Sept, two Russian Tarantul-class corvettes transited the Soya Strait between Hokkaido & Sakhalin and entered the Sea of Japan. www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/2025/...

As part of Moscow’s pressure campaign against Japan Centres in Russia, Russia’s MVD conducted 2 raids of the Japan Centre in Vladivostok. Documents were seized & staff questioned. The Japan Centres provide language classes to local Russians. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1209...

Russian media claim “Mercenaries from Japan are participating in battles against Russia on the side of Ukraine.” The article quotes a Ukrainian POW who says he met 4 Japanese fighters, plus Poles, a Columbian, a German, an American, and an Irishman. www.kp.ru/online/news/...

On 6-7 Sept, a Russian Steregushchii-class corvette & a Slava-class cruiser passed through the Soya Strait (between Hokkaido & Sakhalin) and entered the Sea of Okhotsk. www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/2025/...

Major Russian ships of the Pacific Fleet to visit the Kuril Islands, incl. Japan-claimed Etorofu & Kunashiri. The visits are part of the Russian govt’s series of patriotic events to mark 80 years since victory in WW2. - Japan’s govt is sure to protest. www.sankei.com/article/2025...

CCS Hayashi emphasises that Japan is not one of the 26 countries to promise to send troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire is agreed. He stresses that Japan will assist in a way appropriate for Japan. www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZ...

Putin’s special guests at the Eastern Economic Forum 2025 are the PMs of Laos & Mongolia & a Vice Chair of China’s National People's Congress. - Contrast that with guest lists at EEFs before 2022 that included Xi, Modi, Abe, Moon, & other heads of state. en.kremlin.ru/events/presi...

The last of the buildings of the “Karafuto housing complex (樺太団地)” is being demolished. The complex in Sapporo was so-named because it housed many Japanese who were repatriated from Karafuto (S Sakhalin) after the war. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1207...

A photo exhibition of portraits of former residents of the Russian-held Northern Territories is being held in Shinjuku’s OM System Gallery (until 15 Sept). The photographer, Yamada Junko, is herself a 3rd generation former resident of the islands. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1207...

Japan’s cultural centres in Russia to close due to pressure from the RU authorities. The 6 Japan Centres, which are funded by JPN’s MOFA, offered language classes & business seminars. - The main losers will be Russian citizens in the Russian Far East. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1207...

Ishiba met Armenian PM Pashinyan at Kantei on 4 Sept. They agreed to cooperate to support a rules-based international order. - Taking account of FM Iwaya’s recent visit to UZB, KAZ, Japan is currently showing increased interest in Central Asia & the Caucasus. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1207...

Ishiba joined online talks of Coalition of the Willing to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. He said: “We’ll promote public-private coop in supporting recovery & reconstruction” - While others send troops, Japan’s contribution will focus on rebuilding. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1207...

Putin aide Vladimir Medinskii quotes Stalin to mark 80th anniversary of victory over Japan. Medinskii, who is Russia’s negotiator with Ukraine, adds ominously: “Our country knows how to wait, work, and accumulate strength in order to win.” www.m24.ru/news/politik...

A nursery school has reopened in Ukraine’s Odesa thanks to the support of Japan and the UNDA. The nursery had to close after a Russian attack in June 2023 that damaged the building. news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/acd...

Events were held in the Russian Far East to mark Victory over Militarist Japan Day on 3 Sept. The video is of the parade in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. There was also a small anti-Japan demonstration held outside the Japanese consulate on Sakhalin. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1207...

Sankei reports that Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi criticised Russia’s events to mark 80 years since victory over Japan. Hayashi reportedly described them as “an attempt to justify the illegal occupation of the Northern Territories.” www.sankei.com/article/2025...

50 young Russians protest in front of the Japanese embassy in Moscow to mark Victory over Militarist Japan Day & to condemn war crimes committed by Japan 80+ years ago. - Perhaps their attention would be better focused on war crimes being committed right now. www.jiji.com/sp/article?k...

Putin aide Nikolai Patrushev asserts that Japan’s claims to the S Kurils “are based purely on commercial interests.” He suggests Japan is just interested in the area’s mineral & marine resources. www.jiji.com/sp/article?k...

Patrushev: “NATO intends to use the Japanese fleet to conduct military operations throughout the world. That’s why Tokyo is working on options to lift the legislative ban on the use of armed force outside the country." - As is common for RU officials, Patrushev sees Japan as merely a US/NATO puppet.

Two Russian naval vessels transited the Tsugaru Strait between Honshu & Hokkaido on 29 Aug. On 31 Aug, two Chinese naval vessels transited the Miyako Strait near Okinawa. - Japan’s SDF will be busy. www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/2025/...

China received its first LNG cargo from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2, which is subject to US sanctions. In 2019 Abe arranged for state-owned JOGMEC & Mitsui to buy 10% stake in Arctic LNG 2 for Japan. I don’t think his aim was to provide LNG for China & revenue for RU. www.reuters.com/business/ene...

Talks are underway about Valery Gergiev conducting a concert in Japan in 2026. Should Japan agree to host the Putin-supporting Russian conductor? Gergiev endorsed Russia’s annexation of Crimea & has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1205...

China plans to restore and construct memorial sites in Russia to the “heroes of Northeast Counter-Japanese United Army.” This was the guerrilla army in Manchuria that resisted Japanese occupation from 1931. - China & Russia’s alignment of historical narratives continues apace.

Russia’s MFA criticises Japan’s decision to permit the US’s Typhon missile system to be deployed at the Iwakuni base during the Resolute Dragon drills (11-25 Sep). As a mid-range ground-launched missile system, the Typhon would not have been INF compliant. www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/...

From Putin’s interview with Xinhua: “Russia will never forget that it was China's heroic resistance that was one of the decisive factors that prevented Japan from attacking the Soviet Union and stabbing us in the back during the difficult months of 1941-42."

23 Aug marked 80 years since Stalin’s order to take half a million Japanese soldiers into captivity. 575,000 were interned in Siberia & elsewhere, 55,000 died. The average age of survivors is now 102. The article doesn’t mention how many remain. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1204...

Article shows the range of potential targets in Russia, China, Korea once long-range missiles are deployed in Hokkaido. The Hokkaido Shimbun dislikes the idea of Hokkaido playing host to such missiles, warning they’d become targets in event of a crisis. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1204...

Kim’s expected attendance at the military parade in Beijing on 3 Sep will be quite the spectacle. Xi, Putin & Kim together will prompt more talk of a new axis. It’s a big change for Kim who’s not accustomed to joining multilateral events as if a mere mortal. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1205...

Japan’s SDF scrambled jets 37 times in July to intercept approaching foreign aircraft. 25 scrambles were caused by Chinese aircraft, 10 by Russian, 2 by others. www.mod.go.jp/js/

Around 150 people, including former islanders, join a protest march in Sapporo demanding the return of the Northern Territories from Russia. news.jp/i/1334073356...

Speaking from the UK’s aircraft carrier, Defence Minister Nakatani looks back on the history of Japan-UK coop: “The Russo-Japanese War, which defeated Russian imperialism, was only possible thanks to support from Britain under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.” www.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi has concluded his visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He agreed with his hosts to accelerate arrangements for the first leaders’ summit between Japan and the five Central Asian countries. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1204...

The boom in Russian tourism to Japan extends to Hokkaido. 81,772 Russians visited Hokkaido in the first half of 2025, 1.9 times more than the same period in 2024. Russian tourists are drawn to Japan by the easily available & free tourist visas. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1204...

Russia's Pacific Fleet and the Chinese navy have conducted a joint submarine patrol in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.” A prelude to their commemoration of “Victory in the War Against Japanese Aggression” on 3 Sept. www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2...

A ship used by the Soviets to occupy the S Kurils in 1945 later became a MSDF ship. How? It’s because most of the ships used by the Soviets to take the Japanese islands were lent to them by US under Project Hula. The USS Machias was one of these. (1/2). www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1203...

Japan’s FM Iwaya is in Tashkent for a strategic dialogue with his Uzbek counterpart. The sides issued a joint statement emphasising the importance of an international system based on the rule of law, in what is seen as a dig at Russia & China. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1203...