The Russian Prime Minister has begun his two-day visit to Japan. He is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, members of the business community, and politicians. Ten agreements are expected to emerge from the visit, most notably concerning cooperation between banks, as well as a memorandum on the construction of the Nizhnebureiskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant and the Far Eastern wind farm on Russky Island.
Mr Putin will also discuss the issue of the South Kurils. As Putin's Deputy Chief of the Government Executive Office Yury Ushakov noted, "we are ready to discuss it, especially since it will be impossible not to discuss it because the Japanese will bring it up anyway ... But if a solution is to be found, there must be more than Japan's insistence that it needs the four islands."
Mr Putin does not intend to confine himself to serious topics. The most famous Russian judo enthusiast will publish a Japanese edition of his book, "Leaning Judo with Vladimir Putin", which includes a collection of Putin's favourite judo techniques...