Photo/Illutration Muneo Suzuki, an Upper House member of Nippon Ishin, speaks at the party’s board meeting in the Diet on Aug. 30. (Koichi Ueda)

Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) is considering punishing Upper House member Muneo Suzuki for visiting Russia without gaining permission from the party.

Suzuki is the first Japanese lawmaker to visit Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February last year. He has also voiced support for Moscow’s military move, a stance at odds with that of his party and the Japanese government.

He met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, apparently in Moscow, on Oct. 2, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

Suzuki’s office said the purpose of his visit, scheduled from Oct. 1 to Oct. 5, is an inspection.

Fumitake Fujita, Nippon Ishin’s secretary-general, told The Asahi Shimbun on Oct. 3 that Suzuki faces punishment because he failed to notify the party of his overseas travel plans, as required by party rules.

According to Fujita, Suzuki’s side informed the party of the trip after he had already left Japan.

The secretary-general said he would question Suzuki upon his return to Japan and discuss disciplinary action with Nobuyuki Baba, the party’s leader.

Suzuki, who was born in 1948 in Ashoro, Hokkaido, has long been engaged in issues concerning the Northern Territories, four islands off Hokkaido that were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II but are still claimed by Japan.

Suzuki has argued that Ukraine bears some responsibility for Russia’s invasion. He was considering visiting Russia in May, but Baba told him to postpone the trip, saying it would be “dangerous.”

Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, who serves as co-leader of Nippon Ishin, told reporters on Oct. 3 that Suzuki should be severely punished for the trip.

“We support Ukraine. This is the policy of our country and our party,” Yoshimura said. “Despite the party asking Suzuki not to go, he went ahead and visited.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference on Oct. 3 that the government did not receive prior notice from Suzuki’s side about his travel plans.

“The government has issued a warning stronger than a travel suspension recommendation for all of Russia. Regardless of the purpose, we have urged nationals to avoid traveling to the country,” he said.

Matsuno indicated that the warning also applies to lawmakers.

(This article was written by Kei Kobayashi and Takashi Yoshikawa.)

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