With its firm response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Japan broke with its previous diplomacy. Analysts say the conflict could change the pattern of Tokyo’s defense strategy against Beijing’s ambitions in the region.
When Moscow seized Crimea in 2014, Japan’s reaction was seen as moderate. However, this time around, Tokyo took a cue from its Western allies, imposing unprecedented sanctions and sending non-lethal military aid to Kiev.
“Japan has already been accused of paying to get rid of it, that is, giving money without intervening directly in crises,” Valery Nike, an Asia expert at the Strategic Research Foundation, told AFP.
This time, Japan is “focused on what it’s doing to show that it doesn’t want to sit back and wait for things to change,” she said.
The speed with which Tokyo took action against Moscow and prominent Russians was “truly astounding,” said Tobias Harris, a Japanese expert at the Center for American Progress. “It goes much further than I thought,” he admitted.
Japan’s toughness reflects the unusual nature of the conflict, but a number of other factors come into play, including the departure of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has long sought closer ties with Moscow.
Retiring in 2020 for health reasons, Abe hoped warmer relations would unblock a dispute over the South Kuril Islands, annexed by Moscow at the end of World War II and dubbed “Northern Territories” by Tokyo. These territorial differences are an obstacle to the signing of a peace treaty between the two countries.