"Russia is boosting its activity around Japan. It is a fact," Onodera said when asked to comment on the potential danger of Russian aircraft for Japan.
The minister added that it appeared that this activity increased "after the international community introduced sanctions against Russia because of Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula and since Japan joined them as part of the international community."
"In any case, I think we should be firmly aware of the countries around us, in particular, of China and Russia," the minister explained.
The Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, affiliated with the Russian Defense Ministry, reported last week that Russian Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers went on a patrol mission over the Sea of Japan/East Sea, the East China Sea and the western portion of the Pacific Ocean. The mission unfolded in compliance with the international regulations, according to the newspaper.