Russian diplomats are top offenders of parking laws in Japan with over 2300 unpaid tickets

Russian diplomats in Japan lead in unpaid parking fines, accumulating 2,338 tickets over five years, as reported by Fuji News Network. Despite multiple summons by the Japanese Foreign Ministry instructing respect for local laws, this accounts for 59% of outstanding fines among diplomatic vehicles. China follows with 246 outstanding cases, showing a significant reduction from 638 in 2021. Diplomats from Kazakhstan, Egypt, Iran, and Ukraine also feature in the list. Although the report does not specify the value of fines, 2021 figures indicated around 40 million yen (US$268,000) for 3,948 violations. “We expect all diplomats to respect Japanese laws,” stated an official from the Japanese Foreign Ministry. While acknowledging occasional mistakes, the official noted a problem with overdue fines. Russia, in particular, has not improved, whereas China has shown progress. In 2018, there were 3,228 outstanding fines, with Russian vehicles accounting for 2,396 violations. This reduced to 2,736 cases in 2019. Fuji News highlights that payments increased from most countries, except Russia, which continues to ignore payment requests. Yakov Zinberg, a professor of international relations, finds it “hard to explain” why Russian diplomats resist paying fines. He dismisses a deliberate motive, suggesting increased caution but finds it inexplicable why they ignore ministry summons. Japan has limited tools to enforce payment, including reminders at the ministry and representations to ambassadors for persistent offenders. The ministry’s May 2021 decision to withhold petrol tax exemptions for diplomats with unpaid fines adds financial pressure. “We check before issuing tax exemption coupons to ensure no overdue fines,” said the ministry official. Diplomats must pay for new coupons, recognizing the necessity despite their dissatisfaction. The Vienna Convention, however, prevents confiscation of personal property for outstanding fines, limiting the ministry’s ability to compel payment.