Japan’s Role in the Russian Turn to the East

Japan occupies an important place in the context of Russia’s pivot to the East policy. Until 2023, Japan retained the position of the third-largest economy in the world and Japanese companies continued to be among the world’s leaders in various hi-tech areas. Furthermore, Japan’s military-political weight has been growing on the international scene, which has been particularly evident in the early 2020s. Before 2022, Russia saw Japan both as an important foothold in East Asia and as a partner with whom strong ties would make it possible to build a more balanced diplomatic system in the world. At the same time, Japan, bound by the security alliance with the United States, stands on the opposite side of the barricade to Russia. Against this background, the chapter assesses political, economic, and psychological factors influencing Russia-Japan relations.