The Japanese government protested on Wednesday against sanctions imposed by Moscow on several Japanese businessmen from companies such as Toyota and Rakuten, who have been banned from entering Russia due to their support for Ukraine, according to reports from EFE and Agerpres.
“We can never accept the measures announced by Russia this time, as they hinder the proper activities of Japanese companies,” said Japanese government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi at a press conference.
“Russia claims these are countermeasures to Japan’s sanctions, but all the sanctions we have implemented are the result of a blatant violation of international law with the invasion of Ukraine,” the spokesperson added.
For this reason, Tokyo has “protested to Russia” through diplomatic channels and “will continue to make efforts to protect Japanese citizens and companies in Russia,” Hayashi stated.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an indefinite ban on entry to Russia for 13 Japanese citizens connected to companies and institutions involved in supporting Ukraine’s recovery.
Moscow indicated that this decision was part of the government’s retaliation against Japan’s sanctions imposed on Russia for its “special military operation.”
The sanctioned individuals include Tanaka Akihiko, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, who visited Ukraine in July last year, and Hiroshi Mikitani, owner of the technology and e-commerce conglomerate Rakuten, who traveled to Kyiv in September with then-Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Also sanctioned are Akio Toyoda, chairman of the board of Toyota Motor, and Makoto Amemiya, head of a demining equipment company that supplied devices to Ukraine.
Previously, Russia had already imposed an indefinite entry ban on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the speakers of both houses of parliament, and Japanese journalists.
Japan, in coordination with G7 member countries, has implemented successive rounds of sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions include financial measures against political and business representatives and an export ban on products such as semiconductors and other dual-use goods.
