Japan doubles down on decision to resume cultural exchange with Russia amid Ukraine war sanctions on Moscow

Japan remains united in global sanctions imposed on Russia in the aftermath of the invasion but will expand ‘important’ cultural exchanges

While Kyiv is unlikely to support Tokyo’s decision, such cultural exchanges may well advance an anti-war agenda, an analyst says

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Pedestrians walk across the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. Highlighting Japanese culture “fights that negative narrative and undermines the Russian propaganda that suggests Japan is reverting to militarism”, an analyst says. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00am, 6 Mar 2024Updated: 11:34am, 6 Mar 2024

Japan is defending its decision to resume cultural exchanges with Russia two years after President Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine, insisting on the importance of cross-cultural ties even as it remained firm on international sanctions on Moscow.

While Kyiv is unlikely to support Tokyo’s decision to restart the grass roots exchanges – including sending Japanese teachers to Russian schools, resuming government scholarships for Japan-bound Russian tertiary-level students and the return of “small-scale” Japanese cultural events – such exchanges may well advance an anti-war agenda, an analyst said.

Japan would remain united with other nations in the sanctions imposed on Russia in the aftermath of the invasion but will expand “important” cultural exchanges and interactions, primarily between young people from the two nations, said Akira Muto, the new Japanese ambassador to Moscow.

Some programmes that were suspended immediately after the invasion, including Russian university students and researchers visiting Japan, have recently resumed. Tokyo also intends to invite Russian teachers of the Japanese language and their students to visit, while the embassy in Moscow will arrange exhibitions featuring Japanese culture and screen Japanese films.

“There is no change in our view that Japan will continue to impose severe sanctions against Russia so that Russia will stop its aggression,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to This Week in Asia.

“At the same time, we believe it is important precisely because of this situation for Japan to maintain contact with Russian civil society, especially the younger generation, and to provide Russian citizens with opportunities to gain an international perspective.”

Japan will refrain from holding “large-scale” events, the statement said, adding that a number of other G7 countries are similarly carrying out cultural and person-to-person exchanges with Russian citizens.

Japan doubles down on decision to resume cultural exchange with Russia amid Ukraine war sanctions on Moscow

Japan remains united in global sanctions imposed on Russia in the aftermath of the invasion but will expand ‘important’ cultural exchanges While Kyiv is unlikely to support Tokyo’s decision, such cultural exchanges may well advance an anti-war agenda, an analyst says

Japan remains united in global sanctions imposed on Russia in the aftermath of the invasion but will expand ‘important’ cultural exchanges

While Kyiv is unlikely to support Tokyo’s decision, such cultural exchanges may well advance an anti-war agenda, an analyst says