Despite rocky political relations, Japan needs Russia for gas and oil imports as the energy-hungry Asian power tries to ease its dependence on the volatile Middle East, analysts say.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, on a visit to Tokyo that wrapped up late Wednesday, pledged his country would be a "stable" partner.
His visit came after the Kremlin unnerved Japanese and Western investors by taking majority control of the massive Sakhalin-2 gas project, in which two Japanese companies are shareholders.
"Of course you have to be cautious with Russia, but compared with Iran, Russia is far safer as an energy supplier," said Koji Nakatsu, a professor at Osaka University of Commerce who wrote a book on the Kremlin's energy policy.
I guess the gas wars and ABM threats in eastern europe haven't been paid much attention to. Or the development of Saklin or...ah well. Whither Japan?
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