Donald Trump's election as the next U.S. president is likely to make it easier for Japan to seek further talks with Russia on a decades-old territorial dispute by allowing it to take advantage of Trump's more favorable stance toward Moscow.
But Trump's willingness to engage in closer dialogue with President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to see Russia soften its position on the dispute in the near future, including during Putin's visit to Japan later this month.
"Trump's election is good news" for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's approach to Russia, said James Brown, associate professor at Temple University in Japan. Tokyo can pursue economic and security cooperation "without the fear of criticism from the United States."