I shouldn't be PUI but what the heck, it was a good day, all things considered.

James David Brown writes:

"Taking into account this economic argument in favour of gas (as well as the threat that LNG supplies from the Middle East may be disrupted by a crisis over Iran), is it likely we'll see Japanese policymakers be compelled to set politics aside somewhat and seek to import more energy from Russia?" (2012/04/12)

Assuming that "Japanese policymakers" means "Japanese government" and "politics" means "Northern Territories", "Japanese policymakers" have never let "politics" get in the way of a good commercial deal with Russia, especially when the deal involves energy security. If you have any doubts, just ask anyone at JBIC or NEXI. Any hitches that have occurred were the kind to be expected when you're dealing with a petro-state (as opposed to an emerging economy).