Russian authorities have detained a Japanese journalist on suspicion of espionage, accusing him of gathering sensitive information about the country’s military capabilities for Japanese intelligence. The arrest is likely to add to already strained relations between Moscow and Tokyo.
The journalist, identified by Russian officials as Yuki Imai, works for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper. He was detained in Russia’s far-eastern Sakhalin region shortly before he was due to leave the country, according to reports published on October 13 and 14. He was subsequently transferred to Moscow, where a court ordered him held in pretrial detention.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) alleges that Imai collected information related to Russian defence capabilities on behalf of a Japanese intelligence agency. Russian reports also claim that his work involved gathering information about people from the disputed Kuril Islands who had been mobilised or volunteered to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine. These allegations have not been independently established.
Japanese authorities have responded cautiously. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government was checking the facts and would take appropriate action after verifying the circumstances surrounding the detention.
Dispute over the Kuril Islands
The arrest comes amid renewed tensions over the Kuril Islands, a chain of islands between Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Russia administers the archipelago, while Japan claims four southern islands, referring to them as the Northern Territories. The territorial dispute has remained a major obstacle to a formal peace treaty between the two countries following World War II.
Relations deteriorated further after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed islands in August. Takaichi criticised the visit, saying it hurt the feelings of the Japanese people and conflicted with Tokyo’s longstanding position on the territory. Moscow rejected Japan’s objections.
Japan has also imposed sanctions on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, adding to the diplomatic friction between the two governments.
Moscow accuses Tokyo of exploiting journalists
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Tokyo of attempting to obtain sensitive information by using foreign correspondents working in Russia.
Zakharova said the case was not an isolated incident, although she did not identify other journalists or media organisations allegedly involved in similar activities.
According to Russian news agency Interfax, Imai was transferred to Moscow and ordered held in custody until at least December 12 while the investigation proceeds. If convicted of espionage, he could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years under Russian law.
Imai has reported on Russia’s relations with North Korea and everyday life in Sakhalin. His newspaper, Hokkaido Shimbun, has published a report about the detention, but has not publicly provided extensive details about the case.
Previous cases involving foreign journalists
The detention recalls the 2023 arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, whom Russian authorities accused of espionage. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in July 2024 before being released the following month as part of a major multinational prisoner exchange.
Russia also detained a Japanese journalist working for Kyodo News in 2019 over suspicions that he had attempted to obtain military secrets. He was subsequently instructed to leave the country within 72 hours.
Imai’s case adds another source of tension to a relationship already burdened by territorial disputes, sanctions and disagreements over the war in Ukraine. The espionage allegations remain claims made by Russian authorities as the investigation continues.
