The purpose of the article is to identify the main reasons for the low level of development of Russian-Japanese trade and economic relations and assess the possibility of their intensification. The article considers the influence of the territorial dispute and other political, social and economic factors. The author comes to the conclusion that the most important reasons for the underdevelopment of relations are not only political problems such as the territorial conflict and the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West, but also a number of socio-economic factors that reduce the potential benefits of cooperation. A possible way to intensify relations could be to increase the benefits of cooperation (improving the investment climate, reducing administrative costs, improving the understanding of foreigners of the legislative framework, promoting cooperation between entrepreneurs), as well as ensuring a comfortable international environment. At the same time, a number of formidable factors will st