An Astellas employee detained in China on suspicion of spying will be released in December, according to Japanese media reports. The man was indicted in August 2024 and sentenced in July 2025. This case has been an irritant in Japan-China relations, which have deteriorated since last year over regional tensions.
Kyodo news agency and Yomiuri newspaper among others reported the news, citing sources.
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The man was detained in March 2023 on suspicion of spying. He was indicted in August 2024 and sentenced in July 2025.
The ruling was "extremely regrettable", Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary said after the sentencing, without identifying the individual or affiliation.
Astellas Pharma, Japan's foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy in Tokyo did not respond to telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The case has been an irritant in Japan-China relations.
Ties between the two have deteriorated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last year said a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from nearby Japan.
China subsequently urged its citizens not to travel to Japan, saying their safety was at risk. It also throttled exports to Japan of rare earths, minerals vital to the manufacture of products as varied as cars and weapons.
Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Additional reporting by Hong Kong and Beijing newsrooms; Editing by Christopher Cushing