RUSSIAN-JAPANESE RELATIONS

Japan is Russia’s important partner in the Far East. Russia is determined to strengthen mutually beneficial and neighbourly relations with Japan and to expand cooperation in political, trade, economic, science and technological areas.

In April 2013, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid an official visit to Russia, with the leaders of Russia and Japan issuing a joint statement that serves as a road map for advancing Russian-Japanese cooperation. This comprehensive document formalises the most important aspects of furthering the full range of bilateral ties.

At the same time, both parties admit that, for a number of reasons, the potential for cooperation between Russia and Japan, primarily the potential for trade and economic cooperation, has not been realised in full. Russia proceeds from the need for Tokyo to renounce unfriendly aspects of its policy with regard to Russia. At the same time, we are confident that enhanced cooperation meets the long-term interests of both countries and should not depend on time serving factors.

As of late, Russian-Japanese ties have been invigorated considerably. Contact between Russian and Japanese leaders plays an important role in this process. On May 6, 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a working trip to Sochi. Bilateral meetings also took place September 2, 2016 on the sidelines of the Second Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok and also November 19, 2016 on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima.

On December 15−16, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Japan and toured the cities of Nagato and Tokyo. This visit came as a breakthrough in bilateral relations. The trip yielded unprecedented results, encompassed a record-breaking number of cooperation areas and made it possible to sign an unprecedented number of documents, including 12 intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements, as well as 68 commercial documents.

On April 27−28, Shinzo Abe visited Russia, with both parties summing up the initial results of implementing top-level December 2016 agreements and charting the practical steps to expand Russian-Japanese relations. Both leaders met again on July 7 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg. The Japanese Prime Minister confirmed his intention to attend a regular session of the Far Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this September.

Security cooperation has been considerably enhanced over the past few years. Under the December 2016 agreements between the leaders, Russia and Japan resumed their dialogue in the 2+2 format that involves national foreign and defence ministers, and Tokyo hosted another round of this dialogue March 20. Dialogue participants discussed a number of global and regional security issues, with Russia informing Japan about its concerns regarding Japanese-US plans in missile defence.

High-level contacts have been intensified. In April 2016, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held negotiations with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. In December 2016, Sergey Lavrov received Fumio Kishida in Moscow. On February 17, the Russian and Japanese foreign ministers met on the sidelines of G20 ministerial events in Bonn.

Both parties are working to expand Russian-Japanese cooperation in practical areas. On January 11−12, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minister in charge of Industrial Competitiveness Hiroshige Seko who is responsible for expanding economic cooperation with Russia visited Moscow and was received by First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, Minister of Energy Alexander Novak and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.

On March 24, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin held negotiations with Hiroshige Seko in Tokyo. On April 20−22, Minister of Energy Alexander Novak visited Tokyo and attended the third meeting of the Russian-Japanese Consultative Energy Council.

On June 1−3, Hiroshige Seko visited Russia again to attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. On July 10, he arrived in Yekaterinburg and attended the INNOPROM-2017 International Industrial Trade Fair where Japan was a partner country.

Inter-parliamentary ties continue to develop. In 2016, the speakers of both houses of the Russian Federal Assembly visited Japan. On June 16−17, 2016, a State Duma delegation headed by then House Speaker Sergei Naryshkin visited Tokyo. On October 31 − November 3, 2016, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko visited Japan and toured the cities of Tokyo and Nagasaki.

On January 11−12, 2017, Moscow hosted the first meeting of the Japanese-Russian Discussion Club of the House of Councillors of Japan’s Parliament and the Russian-Japanese Interparliamentary and Interregional Cooperation Consultative Council that was established after Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko’s trip to Japan. On June 8−10, 2017, a large delegation of Federation Council deputies headed by Konstantin Kosachyov visited Tokyo. On June 17, 2017, Moscow hosted a meeting between Ms Matviyenko and Masaji Matsuyama, Deputy Chairman of the Japanese-Russian Discussion Club of the House of Councillors.

Cultural exchanges play a special role in advancing bilateral relations. After the December 2016 top level visit, 2018 was declared the cross year of Russia in Japan and Japan in Russia. In early June, the new large-scale “Russian Seasons” cultural project was launched in Tokyo. Japan became the first country to host such an ambitious event aiming to acquaint the Japanese public with outstanding Russian cultural achievements. In all, 40 Japanese cities will host Russian Seasons during the year.

On June 3−6, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets visited Tokyo in connection with launching the Russian Seasons project and conversed briefly with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who attended the official event.

The annual Festival of Russian Culture in Japan opened July 7, with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov attending the event.

Under an agreement reached between national leaders,  the countries negotiate the issue of concluding a peace treaty at the deputy foreign minister level (the second round was held in October 2015 in Moscow; the two sessions of the third round – on June 22, 2016 in Tokyo and August 26, 2016, in Moscow). The Russian side firmly adheres to the position that it is only possible to make headway on this issue if the Japanese party fully recognises the results of World War II, including Article 107 of the UN Charter.

During the Russian President’s visit to Japan in December 2016, both leaders coordinated statements on conducting talks to launch joint economic activity in the southern Kuril Islands and on simplifying procedures for admitting any former Japanese residents of these islands to visit the graves of their ancestors.

On May 30−31, a Japanese public-private mission for studying business opportunities to launch joint economic activity in the southern Kuril Islands visited Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and met with representatives of the Sakhalin Region’s administration. On June 27 − July 1, the mission’s members toured the southern Kuril Islands during the second stage of their visit.

The parties agreed to charter a flight for former residents of the Southern Kurils in September 2017. A previous flight had failed to reach its destination this past June due to bad weather.

JAPAN

Japan, a state in East Asia, is located on the islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, as well as on 6,848 tiny adjacent islands.

Japan covers a territory of 372,900 square kilometres. Its climate ranges from moderate to tropical. The time difference between Tokyo and Moscow is six hours; the country does not switch to Daylight Saving Time in summer.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. Apart from Tokyo, the country has 11 other mega-cities, including Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Kawasaki, Saitama, Hiroshima and Sendai.

The country has a population of 127,220 million, with ethnic Japanese nationals accounting for 98 percent of the total. The population density is 343 people per square kilometre.

Administrative divisions: Japan is divided into 47 prefectures.

The country has had negative population growth since 2007. The population decreased by 204,000 in 2011, an all-time high since 1947, according to the national Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Factors contributing to the population’s decrease include a major earthquake and a tsunami that claimed over 18,000 lives on March 11, 2011.

The country’s official language is Japanese.

Shintoism and Buddhism are the main religions.

Japan is a constitutional monarchy. Under the current Constitution that was adopted in 1947, the Emperor (Akihito since 1989) is “the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people.” The Emperor fulfills limited ceremonial functions under the government’s control. The Emperor's Birthday is a national holiday, celebrated December 23.

The supreme legislative body is a bicameral parliament, consisting of a lower house called the House of Representatives (480 deputies), and an upper house, called the House of Councillors (242 deputies). Members of the lower house are elected for a period of four years, with those of the upper house serving a six year term. Fifty percent of the upper house is reelected every three years.

The executive branch of Japan consists of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister who is elected by the Parliament and whose candidacy is approved by the Emperor. Shinzo Abe, President of the Liberal Democratic Party, has been heading the Cabinet since December 2012. Abe previously served as Prime Minister in 2006−2007, the first such instance of a Japanese politician holding this position twice over the past 64 years.

The economy

Japan has the third largest economy in the world after the United States and the People’s Republic of China and accounts for about 6.3 percent of the global GDP.

In late 2016, the real GDP was about $4.901 trillion, with the nominal GDP totaling approximately $4.412 trillion. In 2016, the real and nominal GDPs grew by 1.7 and 3.1 percent, respectively.

Japan ranks 28^th in the world in terms of per capita GDP (about $38,500) and also boasts high living standards.

The country’s Foreign Minister is Fumio Kishida (born 1957).

International ties

Tokyo focuses on raising the country’s status in international affairs. A military-political alliance with the United States remains the cornerstone of Japanese diplomacy. The country also devotes considerable attention to a multi-vector Asia Pacific diplomacy and prioritises expanded relations with neighbouring countries. After becoming a non-permanent UN Security Council member in 2016−2017, Tokyo stepped up its efforts to overhaul the Security Council with a view to obtaining permanent member status. Japan is second to the United States in terms of annual contributions to the UN budget and IMF. It is also a major net contributor to official development assistance projects and programmes.

The yen is the national unit of currency. In January−October 2016, the average exchange rate was 108.86 yen to 1 US dollar.

The bilateral Russian-Japanese Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Issues remains active. The Russian and Japanese sections are co-chaired by Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. On November 15, 2016, Tokyo hosted the commission’s 12^th meeting.