JAPAN Trends and Developments Contributed by: Takashi Koyama and Tomomi Fukutomi, Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners
On 29 May 2026, Japan, together with other like- minded countries, such as the USA, Australia, Can - ada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, South Korea and the United Kingdom, as well as the Euro - pean External Action Service (EEAS), issued a joint statement on ensuring the effective implementation of UN sanctions against North Korea. This joint state - ment calls upon the North Korea Sanctions Commit - tee (Committee 1718) to review information regarding sanctions violations and take appropriate measures concerning five vessels identified as having been involved in clear violations of UN Security Council res - olutions prohibiting North Korea’s exports of coal and iron ore, as well as seven vessels that were submitted to the Committee in December 2025 for designation under UN Security Council Resolution 2321 and are currently under review. Iran: nuclear-related measures and sectoral restrictions Japan implements sanctions against Iran pursuant to UNSC resolutions. In September 2025, Japan reacti - vated sanctions under the UNSC “snap-back” mecha - nism, reinstating measures previously eased under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Key measures include the following. • Asset freezes – Assets of designated entities and individuals involved in Iran’s nuclear and missile development programmes shall be frozen.
• Investment prohibition measures – Certain capi - tal transactions and foreign direct investment by Iranian persons into shares or other interests in Japanese companies operating in sectors desig - nated as “Sectors Subject to Measures Prohibiting Investment by Iran Related to Nuclear Technology, etc” under MOFA’s Notice (promulgated on 28 September 2025) are principally prohibited. Such transactions require either prior permission or notification (in principle, they are prohibited) under the FEFTA. • Measures to prevent fund transfers – Payments made for the purpose of contributing to activi - ties designated by MOFA’s Notice (promulgated on 28 September 2025) as “Activities related to Iran’s proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities and development of nuclear weapon delivery sys - tems subject to measures to prevent the transfer of funds” and “Activities related to the supply of major conventional weapons, etc, to Iran” shall be subject to permission. • Import bans – Imports of weapons and nuclear- related items originating from Iran require prior approval from the Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry.
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