Japan to keep stake in Russian energy project in Sakhalin

Many major Western energy companies have withdrawn from projects in Russia due to the war in Ukraine. Japanese officials maintain that oil and gas from Sakhalin is vital for the country's energy security.

So Japan's domestic interests outweigh the interest in democracy and international law?

This well is running dry,since Exxon abandoned the venture,Japan got strange ethics,even Russia treat Japan like a child

When has a "a consortium of Japanese companies" ever shown any interest or respect for anything but money?

Japan’s government owns a 50% stake in SODECO

Enough said.

notify Moscow, moving to secure stable energy supplies for resource-scarce Japan.

Japan, Inc, have known since the 1930s the country is resource scarce, and has kept the country hostage to rogue nations like Russia, and the Gulf states..

Japanese companies Mitsubishi Corp and Mitsui & Co

Not surprising these two mega corporations are part of the ongoing energy kerfuffle, both corporations were involved in decisions that led the Imperial Japanese Military into the Pacific War, and have been involved in Japanese energy kerfuffles since then

When push comes to shove, Japan always disappoints its friends.

Do you want to guess if this means Japan will stop saying that they are doing their best to support all sanctions against Russia?

@obladi

Which international law is that?

I suppose you think we should also boycott Saudi Arabian oil over its inhumane war in Yemen?

Reeks of desperation. There's no guarantee that once Japan put money in it that they will still have a stake in it. Russia has form on seizing assets or use it as leverage. Desperado.

In a practical way we all know that Putin will go away for better someday, in another, there is no warranty that a next Russian leader may be better, similar or worse than Putin, so, may be a decision to reduce financial losses in the short term but no way to not classify as a good, excellent decision as ignores the disrespect occurred and may be insulted again (well-deserved if it happens again)

Making an enemy of Russia by imposing US-dictated sanctions after sanctions is not wise for Japan. In the event of severe energy crunch, no country in the international community will sell surplus oil to Japan.

I noticed yesterday, during one of my infrequent trips to the "Countryside" here in Japan, a lot more solar panel "farms" and residential usage of Solar Panels, than previously noted.

I hope the Government would do more to promote the adoption of Solar energy ... sadly my own roof top was deemed as too unsecure for the older style of panels, though these days I'm reading that even windows can be made to generate electricity... why is Japan not leading the way here ?

japan needs to polish the Russian shoes, very good!!!

@Hello Kitty 321

Which international law is that?

I think you can use the Google search engine, but , if not, let me:

Try "putin war crimes" and you will find

"The United Nations has said its investigators have concluded that Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine, including bombings of civilian areas, numerous executions, torture and horrific sexual violence."

@Makoto Shimizu

In a practical way we all know that Putin will go away for better someday, in another, there is no warranty that a next Russian leader may be better, similar or worse than Putin, so, may be a decision to reduce financial losses in the short term but no way to not classify as a good, excellent decision as ignores the disrespect occurred and may be insulted again (well-deserved if it happens again)

I think your reasoning is probably correct.

But I believe Russia's economy must be sanctioned into oblivion. Power is all that Russian leaders respect, and economic power is all we can afford to directly use with such a country.

Japan: We have principles, and if you don't like them, we have others

Much criticism of Nihon's efforts to look after its own 'best interests' and the interests of its people in the long term rather than surrender completely to the dictates of U.S. hegemonic 'international law' which the U.S. itself violates daily. I suspect not a few Exxon-Mobil executives openly wept when Russia kicked them out and would still be there furiously inventing rationalizations had they been able to stay. Good on Nihon for showing at least a minmum of spine...

Japan Inc is yet and again displaying absence of any sort of moral principles, no dignity, zero sense of rightness.

On one hand pulling out Toyota, Nissan, Bridgestone, Uniqlo, illegally freezing Russian assets in Japan, shouting about the unattainable islands, stinging Russia off and on. At the other end of scale, begging Russian government to allow to stay within Sakhalin 1 and 2 projects, asking for more LNG and oil deliveries and paying top dollar for that. Do you have any guts or pride at all Mr. Japan Inc?

The US will start retaliating against Japan very soon. Many Japanese elites behind this scheme will die mysteriously or politically get ruined.

Good on Japan for thinking about energy security whilst good old England and co are suffering horrendous gas and electricity bills and shutting pubs and bars because the landlords can't afford the massive increases in energy.

I live in Miyagi.

Our main power station (Sendai Thermal Power Station, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sendai_Thermal_Power_Station) is powered by natural gas from Sakhalin.

The pipeline runs down the west coast of Japan with branches at Akita, Yamagata and Toyama.

There are many other prefectures that are powered by partially by Russian gas.

Almost all of the nuclear power stations are offline.

No Russian gas simply means not enough electricity for:

domestic use

the shinkansen

industrial use

the subway system

and so on.

If Japan were to step away from their massive investments in the Russian far east, China would pick up allo f those assets in a heartbeat.

These are the realities of the reliance on Russian gas for us in Japan.

Might not look so moral, but.........

You can print out your principles , put them in a golden frame and hang them up on the wall over your bed to feel some better, but real life and pragmatic solutions are the reality. The economy needs cheap and stable energy supply and even more important, not the Ukraine but Russia is in the direct neighborhood and still has more resources, military power and a threatening atomic bombs arsenal. Support for the Ukraine, ok, but additionally denying the geographical and political reality for some virtual principles, that’s surely rather suicidal.

We need the gas.

Smart move Japan! Look after your own country cause when push comes to shove no one else will!

And like I said the other day, they do this while promising to help Ukraine with energy for heating over the winter. So, they are helping Russia fund the war to destroy Ukraine, while simultaneously also spitting on the people of Ukraine by giving them energy they got from engaging with Russia while purporting to be on the side of the Ukrainian people. Classic Japan trying to play both sides. We already know they have sided with Russia.

It was a big mistake to impose sanctions on our neighbour, Russia. I guess when the rogue state of the USA say jump, Kishida say's how high.

I guess one should understand that Japan Inc acting like this (eg. punishing Russia one hand and asking for energy on the other) make it being at the mercy of Russia thanks to its own short-sighted politicians. Imagine in the coming winter Russia cuts its energy supplies to Japan due to the sanctions which Japan has imposed on Russia, who to thank then?

welcoming the unanimous decision by the shareholders in Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Co

Did anyone expect the shareholders with their money tied up in it to take the moral high ground? Well of course not. Surely J-Gov could place it on hold indefinitely in order to squeeze Russia. I guess not. Must have been some wheelbarrow-size brown envelopes being moved around.

SanjinosebleedToday  12:43 pm JST

Smart move Japan! Look after your own country cause when push comes to shove no one else will!

Oh you mean like the Americans did after defeating Japan? Of course not because they helped turn it into what it is today. Imagine if it had been the other way around? Their treatment of defeated countries is excessively dismal and no doubt very regrettable but I some how suspect they would do exactly the same again if the opportunity presented itself.

Japan was already involved with Sakhalin before the war in Ukraine. If it withdraws it will simply lose its investments.

The US is still getting some products from Russia and the EU just took the delivery of a huge magnet.

I believe Russia tries to take all the benefits away after the development is sufficiently done.

They cannot be trusted.

Excellent, very good Japan..

Without a doubt, it is better to have Russia as a friend and much more if you are in the East..

Japan must prioritize its interests before indulging the pathetic and selfish interests of the US.

William BjornsonToday 11:03 am JST

Much criticism of Nihon's efforts to look after its own 'best interests' and the interests of its people in the long term rather than surrender completely to the dictates of U.S. hegemonic 'international law' which the U.S. itself violates daily. I suspect not a few Exxon-Mobil executives openly wept when Russia kicked them out and would still be there furiously inventing rationalizations had they been able to stay. Good on Nihon for showing at least a minmum of spine...

So your dislike of U.S. hegemonic 'internation law' or what others refer to as Geneva Conventions that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by member states of the United Nations on 10 December 1948, which Russia is a signatory nation mean nothing?

Please explain your support of Russia then to the people of Ukraine who have had their women and children raped and killed, their civilians tortured for no other reason than to terrorize, their cities, villages and homes flattened to the ground instead of addressing your grievances you have with the United States!

Russia is a very reasonable business partner.. meanwhile the US blew up the Nordstream and is selling gas to Europe at an extortion rate, disgusting

"Japan to keep stake in Russian energy project in Sakhalin"

Japan learned a harsh lesson circa 82 years ago in trusting the U.S. for its energy supply...

"Dave FairNov. 5 02:35 pm JST

William BjornsonToday 11:03 am JST

Please explain your support of Russia then to the people of Ukraine who have had their women and children raped and killed, their civilians tortured for no other reason than to terrorize, their cities, villages and homes flattened to the ground instead of addressing your grievances you have with the United States!"

OK. Seven decades of military occupation and political domination of Japan, southern Korea, Europe; overthrow of democratic government in Iran and installation of a homicidal military dictator; Vietnam; Iraq; Afghanistan; Iraq; no end of stomping of small disobedient countries in between; unlimited support for murderous, racist occupation of Palestine; current under-the-table-slaughter in Syria; constant interference with the internal affairs of sovereign countries; constant bullying and threatening of 'disobedient' polities; historical nonchalance in committing ALL of the atrocities you claim for Russia in Ukraine without noting that the central Ukainiazovs in Kyiv have been committing those crimes against their own people in the east since 2014; experiential inability to believe ANYTHING the U.S. Government says regarding international or DOMESTIC issues; and on. And that's just off the top of my head. But, I do understand that, given that the Teutonic British are the cultural forebears of American culture, America has inherited the LONG TIME international nickname of OUR root culture: Perfidious Albion. And we're headed for the same ignominious decline wallowing, as apparently we so obviously are, in our ignorance, corruption, and (Hello?) self-deception.

P.S. Mr, Fair, I do not "support" Russia. I abhor the political disease that now dominates Ukraine and from which the people of the east have been attempting to escape for years and which, initially, while still remaining 'Ukraine', was just to be 'independent' of the corruption that Ukraine centered in Kyiv has internationally notoriously become.

William BjornsonToday 04:12 am JST

P.S. Mr, Fair, I do not "support" Russia. I abhor the political disease that now dominates Ukraine and from which the people of the east have been attempting to escape for years and which, initially, while still remaining 'Ukraine', was just to be 'independent' of the corruption that Ukraine centered in Kyiv has internationally notoriously become.

Russia's invasion and subsequent annexation of Crimea in 2014 had nothing more to do with liberating Kyiv-fearing Ukrainians than Russia's current invasion of Ukraine and it's attempted annexation of eastern regions! Russia planted pro-Kremlin troops and disruptors in the eastern regions of Ukraine to create the illusion of a separatist movement as a justification for Russia's/Putin's invasion. Putin's arguments for his “special military operation”, lets call it for what it is, and illegal invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign nation mind you, are as ever changing as Putin's senior military leadership! 

Are you even familiar with the 1932-33 Holodomor where an estimated 4 million Ukrainians were killed in a famine engineered genocide, literally death inflicted by starvation by the Soviet government of Joseph Stalin, which still lingers in the minds of many Ukrainians. If you were to pay ANY attention to ANY of the liberated cities and villages that had fallen under Russian occupation in ANY region of Ukraine you would notice how happy and relived the Ukrainian residents are when they meet their liberators, the Ukrainian troops! The Russian occupiers were not there to win the heart and minds of those under their occupation, instead they committed war atrocities and in some cases genocide!

I guess if one were to only get their information from RT News they would be as misinformed as some commenting here!