VLADIVOSTOK, September 10. /TASS/. Humanitarian ties between Russia and Japan are gradually developing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after negotiations with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday.

Putin reiterated that this past May the Russian and Japanese leaders started the cross-culture years - the Year of Russia in Japan and the Year of Japan in Russia. "This is a unique large-scale project which is being implemented between the two countries for the first time," the Russian president specified, noting that the program includes more than 400 events in the culture, arts and science through youth exchanges and public organizations.

Putin pointed to the extension of contacts in the sphere of sports. He reported that the exhibition performance of Russian athletes in national martial arts will be held in October-November. The head of state shared the plans to welcome the winners of the Far East Tall Ships Regatta 2018 together with Shinzo Abe on September 12 and visit the international cadet judo tournament devoted to the memory of Vasily Oschepkov, the founder of the Soviet judo and one of the founders of sambo, the Russian marital art and combat sports, who spearheaded sports exchanges between Russia and Japan in martial arts.