Japan Says Will Release Sanction List of Russian Citizens and Companies Soon

[terranMarine]

This is why I have no respect for Japan or Japanese people.
It's impossible to respect a country that has no independent foreign policy and is used as a pawn by other powers.

Lets be honest, Japan is what it is today is because they made the blunder of having a war in Asia. While Germany is also the loser it is in a different position than Japan even though UK/France/Germany are like pets to Uncle Sam these European countries sometimes defy US.

 

[Koroke San]

Good for Japan. I support Japan & Anime

 

[mike2000]

I agree with terran marine (what ever that name means.lol)
Its true everybody knows Japan is almost a colony of the U.S. However we also have to understand the circumstances and the reason for this. Its not like Japan wants or loves being a vassal of the U.S. Japan simply has no choice, since its still an occupied country and will be so for a long time to come. They started the war/invasion in asia and lost to the U.S and allies, and have been occupied ever since. In fact I think the U.S has been rather docile/accomadating with Japan. Imagine if Japan mainland had surrendered say to russia or China. How do you all think Japan would have been? It would have been in a worst shape than it is now. Its emperor who was the main culprit of the war would have been executed and the monarchy disbanded, same with all those officials responsible for the war who were spared by the U.S. Also a constitution would have been imposed on japan crimilazing any denial of its war crimes (like it was done with Germany), and many other things the U.S didn't do.
So overall, while japan may be a U.S lackey as some say, they still got a better deal than they would have had with any other allied power. I think most Japanese politicians and people recognise this (my friend nihonji included I believe).

A lesson from this to all Chinese and Russian memebers is that they should see this as a fact that the U.S is stil by far the most powerful/influential country on this planet, it controls the most powerful countries(how many does china and russia control? Lol) in this world. So before you challenge the U.S make sure you are at least as strong as uncle sam.Else the global eagle will eat you alive.lol

So dont blame japan, I understand its position. Its still better to rely on the U.S than on russia or china. Maybe when china is strong enough then maybe japan might have a cgange of heart. Until then, Japan interests is best served by allying (though being a subordinate) with the U.S.
Russia would never give back the kuril, no matter how good relations between russia and japan are. Those of you who believe otherwise are quite naive. Why would russia give back a piece of land they have controlled for decades ?lool its not like russia is a weak poor african country. They simply would have never agree to cede any of it to japan regardless of the ukraine crisis or whatever. Im sure japan knows this.

 

[Sam.]

Here i thought Japanese going towards independence foreign policy but i had my doubts and which are now cleared.

When you deal with China then you know you are dealing with Chinese for better or worse

When deal with Russia then you know you are dealing with Russians.

When deal with Japan then you know you are dealing Americans so why give yourself all the trouble and just directly deal with USA instead hovering around Japan without any answer.

They had no national interest in this conflict and yet they dance around USA tunes which i find a position of weak and Neo-colonized nation.

 

[Aepsilons]

The sentiments here are rather tuned to a certain and respective bias. Japan's foreign policy towards Europe is one that is emphasized upon on trade and regional peace and stability. The conflict in Ukraine affects that said collective peace. As economic and military partners, Japan has close appropriations with the European Union, and the United States, as well as NATO. Sanctioning Russia is a necessary act, in hopes of encouraging a solution to the debacle that has caused problems in Eastern Europe. Our partners in the EU have placed sanctions, as well as the United States. Our continuity is necessary as to show a united front against acts that foment regional instability.

Thanks.

I agree with terran marine (what ever that name means.lol)
Its true everybody knows Japan is almost a colony of the U.S. However we also have to understand the circumstances and the reason for this. Its not like Japan wants or loves being a vassal of the U.S. Japan simply has no choice, since its still an occupied country and will be so for a long time to come. They started the war/invasion in asia and lost to the U.S and allies, and have been occupied ever since. In fact I think the U.S has been rather docile/accomadating with Japan. Imagine if Japan mainland had surrendered say to russia or China. How do you all think Japan would have been? It would have been in a worst shape than it is now. Its emperor who was the main culprit of the war would have been executed and the monarchy disbanded, same with all those officials responsible for the war who were spared by the U.S. Also a constitution would have been imposed on japan crimilazing any denial of its war crimes (like it was done with Germany), and many other things the U.S didn't do.
So overall, while japan may be a U.S lackey as some say, they still got a better deal than they would have had with any other allied power. I think most Japanese politicians and people recognise this (my friend nihonji included I believe).

A lesson from this to all Chinese and Russian memebers is that they should see this as a fact that the U.S is stil by far the most powerful/influential country on this planet, it controls the most powerful countries(how many does china and russia control? Lol) in this world. So before you challenge the U.S make sure you are at least as strong as uncle sam.Else the global eagle will eat you alive.lol

So dont blame japan, I understand its position. Its still better to rely on the U.S than on russia or china. Maybe when china is strong enough then maybe japan might have a cgange of heart. Until then, Japan interests is best served by allying (though being a subordinate) with the U.S.
Russia would never give back the kuril, no matter how good relations between russia and japan are. Those of you who believe otherwise are quite naive. Why would russia give back a piece of land they have controlled for decades ?lool its not like russia is a weak poor african country. They simply would have never agree to cede any of it to japan regardless of the ukraine crisis or whatever. Im sure japan knows this.

Mike,

The outcome of the last war is the present.And you are right that the United States is by far the most influential power in this world, the shear geopolitical clout she has is almost unbelievably awing. Now, let me say that Japan and the United States are geopolitical allies. They support us in our regional concerns, and we, as allies, support them. America and Japan are aligned. They support and encourage our re-militarization. Think about it this way, we enjoy the close appropriation , military defense technology, and information from the world's greatest power. lol.

We have access to their technologies and material -- something that certain nations can only dream of. They contribute greatly to our research and design as well, greatly reducing the cost. This is what I call working and cooperative strategic alliance.

 

[JSCh]

Japan poised to impose sanctions on Russia over Ukraine - The Washington Post
Japan poised to impose sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
By Anna Fifield July 31 at 7:00 AM Follow @annafifield

TOKYO — When Vladimir Putin was preparing for another shot at the Russian presidency a little over two years ago, he said he would give a command to Russian and Japanese officials: “hajime.”

After half a century of frosty relations with Moscow, the order to “start” — using a word employed in the Japanese martial art of judo, in which Putin is a black belt — was well received in Tokyo. Even more so when Shinzo Abe returned later in 2012 for his second tenure as Japan’s prime minister and ordered his own restart with Russia, driven by pragmatic and regional considerations.

But two years of steadily improving relations could now be coming to a halt, as Tokyo follows the lead of the United States and the European Union and moves toward imposing sanctions on Russia over its role in Ukraine.

Japan this week announced plans to freeze the Japanese assets of people and groups that supported Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region in March and to impose restrictions on imports from Crimea.

The proposed sanctions are largely symbolic — it is unlikely that those on the list will have Japanese bank accounts, and experts struggle to name any products that Japan might buy from Crimea. But analysts say Japan’s decision to coordinate policy with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which has put funding for all new projects in Russia on ice, could have a sizeable effect.

The cabinet is expected to endorse the sanctions this week, perhaps as soon as Thursday, and release details.

Russia did not mince its words in responding to Japan’s moves, calling them “unfriendly and short-sighted.”

“Tokyo’s imposing new sanctions against Russia, no matter what reservations were arranged, will inevitably harm the entire complex of bilateral relations and will cause regression,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency. “Japan needs to take this into consideration,” the ministry added, accusing Tokyo of following Washington’s orders.

The situation is tricky for Abe, whose country is a major U.S. ally but who has gone to great lengths to mend fences with Putin. Last year, he became the first Japanese leader in a decade to visit Moscow.

“So much of Abe’s foreign policy has been invested in improving ties with Russia,” said James Brown, an expert on Russian-Japanese relations at Temple University’s campus in Tokyo. “But Russia is not going to climb down, so Japan is really stuck.”

Closer relations
For almost two years, relations between Japan and Russia have been on the up and up. The rapprochement began in 2011 under a previous government, but it has accelerated sharply since Abe assumed power.

The two nations have even managed to put aside an old, festering territorial dispute over a small chain of islands between the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

Although other world leaders, including President Obama, stayed away from the Sochi Winter Olympics in February, mainly over Putin’s human rights record, Abe was at his side.

Meanwhile, the Japanese leader, facing strained relations with China and South Korea, has been looking for new friends in the neighborhood.

Add to that Japan’s need for new energy supplies since the 2011 nuclear disaster and Russia’s desire to develop its far east, and it’s a recipe for political pragmatism. Bilateral trade hit a record high of $34.8 billion last year, according to the Japanese government. A significant chunk of this was due to fuel imports.

Since the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility led to all of Japan’s nuclear power plants being shut down, the country has had to rely on fossil fuels for energy. Japan now accounts for one-third of the liquefied natural gas market and gets about 10 percent of its supplies from Russia.

“Abe’s greatest risk in sanctioning Russia may not be diplomatic but rather economic,” said Sheila Smith, a senior Japan fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Japan’s growing dependency on Russian energy will suffer if sanctions continue to deepen.”

If Japan’s proposed sanctions — which Washington has welcomed — are going to cause problems with its relations with Russia, they should be apparent soon enough.

Putin is to visit Japan in the fall, and Moscow has made it clear that it is up to Tokyo to uninvite him. “Nothing has been decided” about whether the visit will go ahead, Yoshihide Suga, the chief cabinet secretary, said this week.

A cause for concern
For now, Tokyo’s proposed sanctions and the measures announced by the United States and the E.U. are causing consternation in Japan’s business sector. They could imperil energy projects in particular.

Japan’s biggest conglomerates have started conducting internal reviews of which of their joint ventures could be affected, according to an official at one major corporation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about company discussions.

“Even if we’re not affected by the Japanese sanctions, many Japanese corporations are playing close attention to the sanctions that the United States imposes because we have business in the United States, and because the United States-Japan relationship is important,” he said.

Obama this week announced a new round of U.S. measures that he said will affect “key sectors of the Russian economy,” expanding the list of U.S.-sanctioned banks and defense companies.

That could create headaches for Japanese banks that are financing ventures in Russia but that also operate in the United States, effectively forcing them to choose which country they want to do business with.

“We will continue to watch the situation and decide comprehensively from now on,” said Masako Shiono, a spokeswoman for Mizuho Financial Group.

Another big bank said the moves could narrow its “pipeline” of business with Russian banks. “Also, we are concerned about the impact on payments for Russia-Japan trade,” a spokesman said.



Yuki Oda contributed to this report.

Anna Fifield is The Post’s bureau chief in Tokyo, focusing on Japan and the Koreas. She previously reported for the Financial Times from Washington DC, Seoul, Sydney, London and from across the Middle East.

 

[Obambam]

What goes around comes around, so I guess they can say sayonara to the Russian-Japanese gas pipeline.

 

[Aepsilons]

The sanctions are symbolic in nature, and will most likely not affect the economic cooperation between the two countries in regards to energy sales.

I would call to mind how the UK told France to cancel the $1.6 billion sale of two French ships, but at the same time going forward with the sales of British ships to Russia.

 

[Jlaw]

A geostrategic mistake if done. That's not Japan's fight; it is a European matter; why not let Europeans solve the issue? What benefits does the Japanese government hope to achieve with this sanctions? Can anyone name any?

Economic?
Strategic (Security)?
Political?

I seriously think that the Abe government is being used far too easily and quickly by Washington/NATO.

If sanctions are placed, what the Japanese think the Russian will feel about? And Russia is almost half as big as Japan economically, hence, no pushover.

Sanctions are not tools that you use liberally, especially if it does not directly relate to you. They may do harm to the sanction-bearer as much as the sanction-receiver. The US made a cheap use of them and their effectiveness is waning everyday.

With this move, Japan may kiss the Kurils goodbye forever and, strategically, that's a good move for China, so, 加油 Japan

And in the meantime, expect the talks on natural gas and crude to stall badly, which will further push Russia's resources into China's capable and giant economy at a more affordable prices. With Russia, China will achieve two basic conditions for energy security: availability and affordability.

The Russians are too smart to give up Kurils even if sanctions were not announced.

 

[Aepsilons]

The U.K. was actually following the Japanese strategy of saving Washington's face while avoiding tension with Moscow.

On 23 July, the Guardian reported that the British "absolute" arms embargo to Russia, apparently is not absolute at all. The Guardian reports: "More than 200 licences to sell British weapons to Russia, including missile-launching equipment, are still in place despite David Cameron's claim in the Commons on Monday that the government had imposed an absolute arms embargo against the country, according to a report by a cross-party group of MPs released on Wednesday."

This is interesting because Prime Minister Cameron criticized the French decision to sell two warships to Russia as an unforgivable betrayal to the Western solidarity, while he himself actively defending the British arms sells to Russia.

These moves only reinforces the conclusion presented by the above article: Russia is so closely integrated to Europe, both politically and economically, that no major European power likes to deteriorate its relationship with Moscow.

See also: Guardian. 2014. UK arms export licences for Russia still in place despite claims of embargo - report. UK arms export licences for Russia still in place despite claims of embargo - report | World news | theguardian.com

 

[senheiser]

Sugoi!

byby to your islands

Japan is closely aligned with the United States. We are verily much intertwined, since we own a considerable amount of American debt, as well as enjoy a substantial bilateral trade. Im surprised by your vehemence towards the United States, and the West. Considering you supposedly being a Frenchman and from France. Or perhaps, are you French-Chinese with residual nationalism?

For one, I am in the United States. I live here, i like it. Both Japan and the United States share a great many things in common. Thus my positive view towards America, and American people.

you share nothing in common 100% japanese vs mulatto states. China has more US debt yet they dont obey and lick american feet like you

Russia will not give the Kuril Islands to Japan.

so? what are these 4 island in comparison to donbass? Your shot yourself in the foot

 

[Aepsilons]

China has more US debt

Surely, by not that much. LOL.

so? what are these 4 island in comparison to donbass? Your shot yourself in the foot

You failed to recognize the strategy, @senheiser . Despite Putin's proposed "Hajime" of Japanese and Russian relations , it would have been centered on our bilateral trade, which was centered on energy sales -- which reached $38 Billion this year. Come now, do you honestly think that Russia would have given southern Sakhalin Island to Japan? lol.

That southern tip was taken by Japan after the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, which was given back after Japan's surrender terms to the Allied Powers in 1945. The Russian side would have never given southern Sakhalin Island even if bilateral trade would have reached $100 billion per annum.

Why would Russia give back southern Sakhalin to Japan when that was the very source of national travesty after Russia was defeated by Imperial Japan in 1905? Does the Battle of Tsushima Straits and The annihilation of the Russian Baltic Fleet, the cream of the Imperial Russian Navy, ring a bell?

 

[senheiser]

Surely, by not that much. LOL.

You failed to recognize the strategy, @senheiser . Despite Putin's proposed "Hajime" of Japanese and Russian relations , it would have been centered on our bilateral trade, which was centered on energy sales -- which reached $38 Billion this year. Come now, do you honestly think that Russia would have given southern Sakhalin Island to Japan? lol.

That southern tip was taken by Japan after the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, which was given back after Japan's surrender terms. The Russian side would have never given southern Sakhalin Island even if bilateral trade would have reached $100 billion per annum.

not true, if we would get eastern ukraine we would give 3 islands back i am sure

 

[Aepsilons]

not true, if we would get eastern ukraine we would give 3 islands back i am sure

I don't think you're well versed in Russian geopolitical strategem, my dear.

 

[Sedqal]

Stop ganging up on Japanese, we only got two of 'em here and I appreciate the diversity of the site .

That said one would think that recent efforts of Japan to become more militarily independent would be backed by a more independent foreign policy, perhaps Japan considers USA to be central to its defense doctrine in future (which runs contrary to how many of us understood it). Also it appears that they are underestimating the reaction of Russia in this case.