Japan reacted on Tuesday after Russia withdrew from peace treaty talks with Japan and froze joint economic projects related to the disputed Kuril islands. Russia sighted sanctions imposed by Tokyo over Russia's invasion of Ukraine as reason for its withdrawal.

Russia and Japan who are still informally at hostility after World War II because of the standoff over islands just off Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories. The islands were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of WW II.

Japan imposed sanctions on 76 individuals, seven banks and 12 other bodies in Russia, most recently on Friday, and included defence officials and the state-owned arms exporter, Rosoboronexport.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he strongly opposed Russia's decision, terming it "unfair" and "completely unacceptable".

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Japan had lodged a protest with Russia's ambassador in Tokyo.

Japan last week also announced plans to revoke Russia's most-favoured nation trade status and ban imports of certain products.

Last year, President Vladimir Putin said that both Tokyo and Moscow wanted good relations and said it was absurd they had not reached a peace agreement. read more

Russia has also withdrawn from talks with Japan about joint business projects on the Kuril islands and ended visa-free travel by Japanese citizens, its foreign ministry said.
-Reuters