Publication

As the title suggests, this note discusses a number of factors that could influence the future of relations between Japan and Russia. More specifically, the author examines 1) Japan's foreign policy aspirations; 2) Russia's regional interests in East Asia; 3) the state of Sino-Russian relations; 4) the Kuril Islands dispute between Russia and Japan; and 5) Japan's involvement in Western sanctions against Russia following Moscow's 2014 intervention in Ukraine. He concludes by contending that as Japan is beginning to increase its role as a global and regional security actor while maintaining its close relations with the West, its relationship with Russia - whose main ally in the region is China - is bound to remain frosty.