On the 23rd, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced an indefinite entry ban for 13 business leaders of Japanese companies, including Toyota Motor Corporation.
This measure appears to be a response to Japan’s sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
The list includes Toyota Motor CEO Akio Toyoda, Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Akihiko Tanaka, Toray President Mitsuo Oya, and Shinsei Bussan Corporation President Seigo Iwamatsu.
The Sankei Shimbun reported that business leaders involved in supporting Ukraine likely made the list.
JICA has provided demining equipment and materials to mitigate missile attack damage in Ukraine while Mikitani visited Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. He committed to donating generators to counter Russian attacks on power infrastructure.
In September 2022, after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Toyota closed and withdrew from its factory in western St. Petersburg, which was established for local production of passenger vehicles. The factory site has since become home to Russia’s luxury car brand, Aurus.
In May of last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry imposed an indefinite entry ban on 63 Japanese individuals, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, media officials, and university officials, as retaliation against Japan’s sanctions on Russia.
