Tokyo shuts all Japanese centres in Russia amid strained relations

The Japanese government has decided to close all six branches of the non-profit organisation Japan Centre operating in Russia, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

"The decision has been made to cease the operation of [the centres]," he said, citing the current state of relations between Tokyo and Moscow and "the situation inside Russia" as the reason, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Japanese authorities have already informed the Russian side of the decision.

The Japan Center is an autonomous non-profit organisation that provided training for Russian professionals, including business leaders and company executives. Lectures and seminars were conducted at its facilities, and the most capable participants were offered opportunities for internships in Japan.

The activities of the Japan centres were funded by the Japanese government through the country’s embassy in Russia. The organisation included a main office in Moscow (on the premises of Moscow State University) and five branches in Vladivostok, Nizhny Novgorod, Saint Petersburg, Khabarovsk, and Sakhalin.

By Khagan Isayev