Vladivostok: Russia's Closest Port to Japan

The Russian port of Vladivostok (Владивосток) is the nearest major Russian port to Japan. Located on the Sea of Japan in Primorsky Krai, it lies approximately 100 km (62 miles) from the Japanese island of Hokkaido across the La Pérouse Strait.

Strategic Importance

• Home of Russia's Pacific Fleet.
• Terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
• Free port status (since 2015) to boost trade with Northeast Asia.
• Hosts the annual Eastern Economic Forum.

Other Russian Far East ports (Nakhodka, Vostochny, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) are farther from Japan. Vladivostok's proximity makes it the natural gateway for Russo-Japanese trade and diplomacy.