Research On Japan’s Policy Changing Towards Russia Under The Russian-ukrainian Conflict

Since the end of World War II,Japan and Russia have not yet concluded a peace treaty.The contacts between Japan and Russia regarding the conclusion of a peace treaty have been intermittent.Since the 2014 Crimean crisis,Japan has joined the ranks of sanctions against Russia.After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022,Japan’s new Prime Minister Wenxiong Kishida announced more severe sanctions against Russia and claimed that Russia would be held accountable for the war.This policy change has led to a sharp decline in the already sensitive relationship between Japan and Russia.The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict caused dramatic changes in Japan Russia relations,and Japan adjusted its policy towards Russia based on its own security and interests.The Russia-Ukraine conflict has intensified Japan’s dependence on the US Japan alliance in terms of security,and also strengthened Japan’s strategic goal of "normalizing the country".Japan has adopted strict economic sanctions against Russia,and its stance on territorial issues has become more hawkish,which has caused damage to the improvement of Japan Russia relations in recent years.It can be said that the overall deterioration trend of Japan Russia relations in the future will become increasingly apparent.The development process of Japan-Russia relations has undergone twists and turns,with tension and relaxation intertwined.There are still many frictions between the two sides,but there is still room for cooperation in the fields of health,healthcare,and counter-terrorism.The relationship between Japan and Russia is not simply an interaction between two countries.As an important bilateral relationship in Northeast Asia,the relationship between Japan and Russia has become an undeniable issue in international politics in the 21 st century.As an important variable in the world landscape,the US factor has led to a more complex relationship between Japan and Russia.Japan’s policy towards Russia has become an important topic in international politics and regional studies in Northeast Asia.This topic,especially after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict,has more variables and therefore has high practical significance.The main body of this paper consists of four chapters: The first chapter combs the historical origins of Japan’s policy towards Russia and Japan Russia relations,taking the post cold war,the early 21 st century and the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as time nodes respectively,and analyzes the changes of Japan’s policy towards Russia during this period;Chapter 2 explores the three driving forces behind the changes in Japan’s policy towards Russia from the perspective of its interest ranking: security considerations,diplomatic layout,and domestic political drive;Chapter 3 explains the adjustment of Japan’s policy towards Russia from three aspects: security,economy,and territorial demands: adjustment of security policy towards Russia,deepening of sanctions paths,and strengthening of territorial demands;The fourth chapter explores the characteristics and trends of Japan’s policy towards Russia under the Russia-Ukraine conflict,showing a trend of continuation of previous policies,reordering of interests,and deepening of conflict.