The entry ban, announced by Russia's Foreign Ministry, targets 63 Japanese citizens, including Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.
ussia said Wednesday it will ban the entry of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and many high-ranking officials for an indefinite period in a fresh round of sanctions against Japan, amid rising tensions between the two countries over the crisis in Ukraine.
The entry ban, announced by Russia's Foreign Ministry, targets 63 Japanese citizens, including Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.
Widely seen as a retaliation for the Japanese government's series of punitive measures against Russia since it started attacking Ukraine in late February, the ministry accused Tokyo of launching an "unprecedented anti-Russian campaign with unacceptable rhetoric" and hurting its economy and international prestige.
Executives of Japanese media organizations and university professors were also included in the list released by the ministry.
With the United States and European countries, Japan has implemented a number of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, including freezing the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his subordinates.
Russia has already barred a number of Western leaders from entering the country, including US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in retaliation against sanctions imposed by the nations.
Japan's parliament last month gave the green light to strip Russia of "most favored nation" trade status, making it lose benefits such as low tariffs. It also expelled eight Russians, including diplomats at the Russian Embassy in Tokyo.
Russia then said last week it will also expel eight Japanese diplomats.
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