TOKYO -- Moscow's move to place four subsidiaries of Japan Tobacco under Russian control may be a sign that Moscow views Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's diplomatic overtures as a sign of weakness.

Japan has protested Thursday's decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin through diplomatic channels. Kimitake Nakamura, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's European affairs bureau, spoke to Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev, urging the measure's withdrawal. The JT grab is the latest in what Tokyo sees as Russian pressure tactics.

Putin in August visited one of the southern Kuril Islands that are controlled by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo as the Northern Territories. In October, Russia's security agency detained a journalist from Japan's Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, accusing him of espionage and giving no prospect for his release.

Critics argue Russia is bullying Japan because Tokyo's responses have been less than forceful. After the journalist was detained Takaichi said only that the government would "take appropriate action" as needed to defend Japan's interests.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Japan has imposed sanctions on Moscow and provided aid to Kyiv. This policy has continued under Takaichi, who took office in October 2025, but her government has shown a willingness to pursue dialogue with Russia.

Senior Japanese officials and business leaders visited Moscow in May, calling on the Russian government to protect the assets of Japanese companies.

Last week, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and demanded the release of the detained journalist, in the first meeting between the countries' top diplomats in five years.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, center left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, second from right, met in October. (Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Tokyo said the ministers would "maintain communication, even amid the severe situation in Japan-Russia relations." The Japan Tobacco decree followed this statement.

Japan needs Russian energy, which has taken on greater importance since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Russia was Japan's third-largest supplier of liquefied natural gas last year.

Meanwhile, Russia has allied closer with North Korea, and it is aligning with China, even as Japan's relations with Beijing have frayed since Takaichi's comments on Taiwan last November. Some argue that from an East Asian security perspective, it is unwise for Japan to have tense relationships with all three countries.

"Russia's actions are evidence of a strong interest in Japan," said a former senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official who was involved in Russia diplomacy. "There's no choice but to try to resolve things through dialogue." In a Nikkei poll in August, 53% of Japanese respondents supported more emphasis on dialogue with Russia.

After the Ukraine invasion, Japan coordinated with the U.S. and Europe on sanctions under then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Contending that Ukraine's fate today could be East Asia's tomorrow, Kishida traveled around Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East to win over emerging markets and developing countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rear center, and then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, front left, attend a Group of Seven summit in 2023. (Yomiuri Shimbun) But Western unity on Ukraine has weakened since U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House.

Takaichi has sought to maintain a friendly relationship with Trump, while making few other high-profile diplomatic efforts.

The prime minister did not attend a virtual Group of Seven summit last month, saying the meeting was about diesel prices, which concern mainly the U.S. and Europe.

That gives other countries license "not to participate if the G7 topic is East Asian security," Mitsunari Okamoto, head of Japan's opposition Komeito party, said Friday. Russia is well positioned to take advantages of any such weaknesses in diplomacy.

"We don't know the goal of Russia's stance toward Japan," a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said. "With the U.S. becoming more conciliatory toward Russia, we need to think about how to respond." Yoko Hirose, professor of international politics at Japan's Keio University, warned against giving Russia a precedent for successful economic coercion.

"Protecting the assets of Japanese companies is important, but they absolutely must not bend on fundamental policies such as Russia sanctions and Ukraine aid in return," Hirose said.