The great industrialist Henry Ford once proclaimed "history is bunk." But when it comes to international business, this wisdom does not always prevail.

Take Japanese-Chinese relations, for example; the weight of history has played heavily in all dealings between the two nations in the past, all too often with negative consequences. It has been a relationship where Japan has not quite been able to live up to its political potential.

It is likewise between Russia and the West — especially Western Europe. There has been bad blood over the course of history, and Russia is again and again showing itself willing to use its newfound resource-based wealth and economic power against its European peers.

Just last month, for example, the Russian navy staged live-ammunition war game just off the Bay of Biscay. It was a provocative manifestation of military power intended to send a clear message to Europe: Russia is not to be trifled with.

A similar message, this time aimed specifically at Britain, emerged over the row concerning the British Council's offices in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The Kremlin ordered those offices shut, but they refused, leading to the British ambassador being summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry for a dressing down.

Although tax reasons were cited for the closures, observers have linked this issue to the fallout from the 2006 murder in London of ex-KGB officer-turned British refugee Alexander Litvinenko. Litvinenko was an outspoken and knowledgeable critic of the Kremlin, and the circumstances surrounding his death hinted at possible Russian involvement.

So it has been argued that a good deal of the motivation for all of these disputes is more domestic in nature: Russian President Vladimir Putin will be stepping down after elections in March but is likely to be named prime minister, thereby keeping his hand on power. In any case, these displays of strength are restoring some pride to Russia's long-suffering citizens and giving Putin even more clout.

Meanwhile, in East Asia, a much different picture is being painted. Although lacking any explicit political overtures, one might be tempted to say that relations between Russia and Japan are almost cozy. Japanese companies have been announcing major deals in Russia one after the other.

In 2007 Toyota, Suzuki and — after a long period of deliberation — Mitsubishi Motors, all announced they were building new plants in Russia. In Toyota's case, one has already gone onstream and a second is in the works. These investments alone total over ¥70 billion.

Hot on their heels are several supply and distribution companies, aided by a revised Trans-Siberian railway that will reduce shipping times from the Far East to the Moscow area by more than half.

But there are more than just manufacturing deals being concluded. Mizuho Bank, for example, recently purchased the Russian unit of Michinoku Bank, signaling its growing interest in the country. And the president of the Russian Banking Association, Garegin Tosunyan, said at a conference in Tokyo last year that Russian banks are expected to open Japanese branches as early as 2009.

And in construction, Russia's Metropol Group inked a deal Thursday with Japan's SBI Holdings Inc. to build a 2-million-sq.-meter, mixed-use complex in Moscow called Metropoliya for $3.5 billion. Construction is slated to begin in 2009.

The EU invested 9 billion euro (about $13 billion) in Russia in 2005, up 50 percent from 2004. Japan's total investment came to $2.5 billion in 2006, which puts it among the top 10 investors in Russia.

Of course, Russia and Japan have not yet resolved their territorial dispute over four small islands just off Hokkaido, and still refuse to sign a formal peace treaty putting an end to World War II. But no one seems to be in a hurry to resolve these matters, least of all President Putin.

Instead, Putin appears to be cultivating relations with Japan (he was present at the opening of Toyota's plant for example) in a way that he has conspicuously avoided with Europe and the United States. And let's not forget about his love of judo.

Clearly, business between Russia and Japan is a desirable objective, and both sides appear likely to benefit. For example, Japan's automakers, which are all struggling at home, look at Russia and see vast opportunities. Similarly, the Russian automotive industry stands to gain huge amounts of technology transfer from its Japanese counterparts.

More important than the gain in one specific sector, however, is the overall transition that Russia is making from a resource-based economy to a truly industrial one.

Japan is all the more an important partner in such a move, thanks to its history as a country that combined strong central planning with free-market policies. A combination like this makes a great deal of sense to the former communist nation.

What's more, Japan's business relations with nations like Russia are relatively bereft of historical baggage, which provides a kind of competitive advantage. Transactions are made more quickly as mutual trust transcends the shadows of the past.

What a striking contrast this poses to Japanese-Chinese relations. It is very much worth taking a closer look at the speed and extent to which Japan's dealings with Russia are progressing, especially in the business sphere. This will most likely bring great benefit to Japan and its economy.

Jochen Legewie is president of German communications consultancy CNC Japan K.K.