Despite putting in place a broad range of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, the government indicated last week that it was planning to leave imported marine products untouched — a reflection of not only political and economic concerns, but also deeper worries about the impact of import curbs on Japan's general food security.
According to the agriculture ministry, the import value of such products from Russia last year was ¥38 billion for crab, ¥20 billion for salmon and trout, ¥13.2 billion for cod roe and ¥9.8 billion for sea urchin.
Russian cod roe and sea urchin accounted for a high percentage of domestic consumption, with the former being used for the common dish mentaiko. If imports are banned, not only food processors but also the entire food service industry would be negatively affected.