Japanese MFA about to resume sending students on short-term internships to Russia

TOKYO, July 18. /TASS/. The Japanese Foreign Ministry is preparing to resume short-term student internships in Russia this August, following a suspension caused by sanctions against Moscow. At the same time, Tokyo remains committed to maintaining its overall sanctions policy toward Russia, reports the Asahi newspaper.

In 2022, Japanese authorities decided to halt governmental cultural and humanitarian exchanges with Russia. The suspension of short-term internships for Japanese students in Russia had already been in place since 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, there was a notable shift in 2025, when Tokyo relaxed travel restrictions for business and educational exchanges with Russia. According to the Asahi, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to send a group of 15-20 students to St. Petersburg in August to study Russian language and engage with their Russian peers.

Since 1999, a bilateral youth exchange commission has operated under an intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Japan. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approximately 9,800 individuals have participated in these exchanges from July 1999 through February 2022.

During a press conference in Tokyo on June 3, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara emphasized that Japan intends to adhere to the broader sanctions framework established by the Group of Seven (G7). Nonetheless, he underscored the importance of maintaining certain diplomatic and cultural relations with Russia as a neighboring country.