One of Japan's prominent fishing ports and a frequent stop for foreign luxury cruise liners, the city of Sakaiminato on the Sea of Japan coast bolsters the local economy in a remote western region of the country.
Japan urges Russia to start this year's negotiations on a bilateral safe fishing agreement to prevent the Asian country's vessels from being seized by Moscow's authorities in waters near the disputed islands off Hokkaido.
Japan and Russia clinch a deal on Tokyo s fishing quota for salmon and trout spawned in Russian rivers despite Japan s economic sanctions against Moscow.
Japan s early summer saury fishing expedition in the northern Pacific is expected to be skipped for a third year because of bad catches and increasing fears Russia could seize Japanese fishing boats amid tensions over Ukraine.