Takaichi takes flak for ‘weak’ responses to U.S. and Russia

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on July 27. | Anadolu Agency / VIA Bloomberg

JIJI, STAFF REPORT

Aug 22, 2026

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration is under fire for what critics say are weak responses to U.S. sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to a disputed island.

The government did not criticize or lodge a protest against the sanctions on Akane in order not to upset Japan’s sole formal ally, with Takaichi saying only that the measure was “unfortunate.”

It also did not take measures after Putin’s trip last week to Etorofu, one of the four islands that are called the Northern Territories in Japan and are claimed by Tokyo but controlled by Moscow, due to concerns about the potential fallout on energy supply.

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