Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revealed that his party had imposed sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine.
The sanctions include banning the issuance of Russian bonds in Japan and freezing the assets of certain Russian individuals.
The move follows Western countries that on Tuesday re-imposed new sanctions on Russian banks and elites after Moscow ordered troops into separatist territory in eastern Ukraine.
Kishida said Russia's actions had violated Ukraine's sovereignty and called on Russia to return to diplomatic discussions. Meanwhile, he added that Japan is ready to take additional steps if the situation worsens
He said that the move had no significant impact on the energy supply of the current situation in the short term.
Kishida said he would consider all measures to limit the impact on households and companies if oil prices rise further.
