Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya has condemned Russia’s entry ban on him and eight other Japanese citizens as “unacceptable”. This move by Russia is in retaliation to Tokyo’s sanctions, which were imposed in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Iwaya emphasized that “our measures have been taken as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine”. He further stated, “It is completely unacceptable to shift the blame to Japan.”
The foreign minister also expressed regret over the decision, citing the need for communication between the two countries to resolve “many pending issues”. Japan has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, providing financial and material aid, as well as imposing sanctions on Russian individuals and organizations.
Notably, Japan’s pacifist constitution restricts its ability to export weapons, but in December, Tokyo relaxed its arms export controls to allow the sale of domestically made Patriot missiles to the United States. This move aimed to replenish US inventories of air defense missile systems that had been depleted due to supplies sent to Ukraine.
This is not the first time Russia has imposed entry bans on Japanese citizens. In 2022, former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his successor Shigeru Ishiba were prohibited from entering the country. Last year, Russia also added the head of Toyota and 12 other senior Japanese business figures to its entry ban list.