Retaliating against Japan’s sanctions on Russia, Moscow takes over Japanese firms in Russia, sparking Tokyo’s outcry
Japan has frozen numerous Russian assets within its territory; now it is Russia’s turn to respond—yet Tokyo itself is protesting.
According to TASS, on the 5th, President Putin signed a presidential decree confirming the transfer of four Russian subsidiaries owned by Japan Tobacco Inc. to temporary management by domestic Russian enterprises. The move has triggered strong reactions from Japanese officials.
On the 6th, Finance Minister Saito Arata, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akazawa Ryōsei, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kimbara Minoru, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs all issued statements, expressing formal protest to Russia and demanding the revocation of Putin’s decree.
Evidently, Japan’s selective memory is once again in full effect.
In fact, this temporary takeover of Japanese companies’ subsidiaries in Russia is not an arbitrary act but a direct response to Japan’s series of punitive measures since 2022—following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, Japan joined Western allies in freezing or seizing substantial Russian assets in Japan, including those of the state-owned Vnesheconombank, Promsvyazbank, and foreign trade banks. If Japan can act on the first day of the lunar calendar, Russia sees no reason why it cannot act on the fifteenth.
Ironically, Japan’s reaction to Russia’s action avoids any mention of its own prior conduct. Instead, Tokyo attributes the Russian move solely to alleged “pressure from Russia on Japan”—a narrative that mirrors Japan’s past rhetoric about China allegedly restricting rare earth exports to Japan. Both arguments rely on selective interpretation, blaming China and Russia for supposedly bullying Japan while omitting Japan’s own provocations.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1881091728482313/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.