Japan Sends Senior Diplomat to Russia to Seek Release of Arrested Journalist

By AFP Oct. 21, 2026 Imai Yuki. Social media Japan sent a senior diplomat to Moscow this week to discuss the release of a journalist arrested in Russia on spying accusations, Tokyo said Wednesday. Russia’s FSB security service said last week that a Japanese national had been arrested on the Far Eastern island of Sakhalin. The individual was later identified as Yuki Imai from the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, who faces accusations of "conducting espionage activities on Russian territory." Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has denied that Japan conducts spying activities in Russia, while the Hokkaido Shimbun has stressed its independence from the government. On Tuesday, Kimitake Nakamura, Japan's top diplomat for Europe, met Lyudmila Vorobyova, the head of the department at the Russian Foreign Ministry dealing with much of East Asia, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry. "We lodged a request... that calls for the earliest possible realization of consular access to the Japanese national detained in Russia, as well as the individual's immediate release," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters on Wednesday. Japan also summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev to lodge a formal protest over the arrest, while its foreign ministry has urged Moscow to provide him "fair and impartial treatment." Russia has arrested several citizens of what it calls "unfriendly" countries in recent years, accusing them of working for Western intelligence services. Kihara said the meeting on Tuesday was also held to discuss tense bilateral relations. "Japan-Russia relations are in a difficult state," he said. "Precisely for that reason, it is necessary for the diplomatic authorities to engage in exchanges on the various issues." For decades, Russia and Japan have been locked in a territorial dispute over the southern Kuril islands — known as the Northern Territories in Japan — which are located northeast of Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture and southwest of Far East Russia’s Sakhalin. The Soviet Union seized control of the islands at the end of World War II. Japan has also sanctioned Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Read more about: Japan , Journalists Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Japan Slams Lack of Access to Journalist Arrested in Far East The FSB arrested the journalist from the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper on the Far East island of Sakhalin last week on suspicion of espionage. 2 Min read Russia Arrests Japanese Journalist on Suspicion of Spying The FSB claimed that the journalist had been gathering information on Russia's defense capabilities. 3 Min read Russia Adds DOXA Co-Founder Aramyan to ‘Terrorists and Extremists’ List Armen Aramyan, who fled Russia in 2022 after being sentenced to correctional labor, responded to the news by writing, “It took a while.” 1 Min read Moscow Police Arrest 3 Journalists Outside Annexation Celebration on Red Square Human rights watchdog OVD-Info said one of the journalists worked at the news website Republic and the other two for SOTAvision. 1 Min read