Overview
- The barred list includes Japanese Foreign Ministry press official Toshihiro Kitamura.
- Journalists and university researchers are named, with academics such as Yu Koizumi, Akihiro Iwashita, Yoko Hirose and Kenro Nagoshi identified by Japanese media.
- Russia said the prohibition is a direct response to Tokyo's ongoing sanctions linked to the conflict in Ukraine.
- The move is the first new ban targeting Japanese citizens since the inauguration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last month, following a previous decision in March.
- Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev criticized Tokyo's alignment with Western measures, saying Japan has effectively dismantled relations with Russia.