Japan has protested to Russia after President Vladimir Putin signed a decree placing four Russian subsidiaries of Japan Tobacco (JT) under the temporary management of a Russian company.

Axar.az reports, citing Japanese media, that Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said at a press conference on November 6 that Tokyo had lodged a protest through diplomatic channels and urgently called on Moscow to reverse the decision.

The Japanese government holds a 37.55% stake in JT. Katayama said the government would closely monitor the situation in coordination with relevant ministries and the company.

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa said two senior Japanese officials had travelled to Russia to seek the withdrawal of the measure. He said their visit was aimed at protecting the assets of Japanese companies.

Akazawa added that Japan had been concerned about the possibility of such measures, noting that Russia had increasingly placed assets belonging to Western companies under temporary management since September.

Japan's Foreign Ministry also summoned Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Nozdrev and called for the decree to be withdrawn. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government would continue to monitor developments and respond appropriately.

Putin signed the decree on November 5, placing four Russian subsidiaries of JT International (JTI), JT's international subsidiary, under temporary Russian management. The companies include JTI Donskoy Tabak, which handles JTI's operations in Russia.

Although ownership of the assets remains with JT, the measure effectively restricts the company's ability to exercise management control. If the temporary administration continues for an extended period, it could affect JT's financial performance.