Russia has banned the head of Toyota and 12 other senior Japanese business figures from entering the country, drawing a sharp protest from Tokyo on Wednesday. The list, published by Russia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday, includes Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, Rakuten chief Hiroshi Mikitani, and Akihiko Tanaka, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
According to the foreign ministry, the decision is a “response to Japan’s ongoing sanctions against our country in connection with the special military operation,” using Moscow’s term for its invasion of Ukraine. The ministry did not clarify how the individuals were selected, noting the absence of heads from major firms like Mitsubishi, Honda, and Sony.
Japan has aligned closely with the Group of Seven industrialised nations to impose sanctions on Russia due to the war in Ukraine. This cooperation stems from growing regional concerns about the conflict’s impact, particularly China’s increasing military assertiveness and threats toward Taiwan. Tokyo has provided significant financial and material support to Kyiv, sanctioning Russian entities and individuals.
Although Japan’s pacifist constitution limits its ability to export weapons, the government eased arms export controls in December to allow the sale of domestically made Patriot missiles to the United States, aimed at replenishing depleted inventories due to supplies sent to Ukraine.
“Measures announced by Russia this time will restrict fair activity by Japanese companies and are absolutely unacceptable,” Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi stated on Wednesday. Tokyo has lodged a formal protest, reiterating that its sanctions are a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a “clear violation of international law.”
Japan has already faced several retaliatory measures from Russia, including the suspension of peace treaty talks involving disputed islands. Moscow has also imposed entry bans on hundreds of Japanese lawmakers, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and several of his predecessors.
