Mr. Abe Goes to Vladivostok: Abe’s embrace of Russia marks a radical shift from previous Japanese policy.

Prime Minister Abe is attempting to build unprecedentedly close personal relations with Putin. It is for this reason that the Japanese prime minister took the unusual step of visiting Russia four times in a row without a reciprocal trip by his Russian counterpart. Abe has also eagerly taken to calling Putin by his first name and, during his well-received speech to the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, hit an almost romantic note. Read more