"This is unacceptably tough, absolutely unjustified and inadmissible. We voice a strong protest," Kishida said.
At the same time, answering a lawmaker's question regarding Tokyo's position on the issue of territories and the peace treaty, Kishida said it has not changed.
"But, as I said before, in light of the events in Ukraine, a dialogue with the Russian Federation is now impossible," he noted.
Japan also sent a protest to Russia in connection with the Kremlin's decision, the Secretary General of the Japanese Cabinet of Ministers, said during a press conference.
"We sent a protest. This decision is absolutely unjustified and totally unacceptable," he said.
Earlier on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that in response to what it characterized as unfriendly steps by Tokyo, Moscow would refuse to negotiate a peace treaty with Japan, halt visa-free travel for Japanese citizens to the southern Kuril Islands, and withdraw from dialogue with Japan on establishing joint economic activities in the southern Kurils.
Japan claims the islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai in the Kuril Island chain, based on a trade and border contract signed in 1855. Moscow claims indisputable sovereignty over the islands, which were annexed by the USSR following WWII.
While post-World War II negotiations never resulted in a peace treaty, Japan and Russia agreed to expedite negotiations in 2018.
However, as Russia initiated its military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Japan joined the Western countries in implementing sanctions against Russia. The Kremlin announced that its special military operation was launched in response to requests for assistance from the republics of Donetsk and Lugansk against attacks by the Ukrainian military.
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