Now Gergiev is banned by Japan

A few weeks ago, the isolated St Petersburg conductor was bragging that a western boycott would not affect his massive demand in Asia, specifically China and Japan.

Well, yesterday Japan let it be known that November and December concert tours by Gergiev and his friend Denis Matsuev have been cancelled. Both have close connections to Vladimir Putin.

A Kremlin official attending the funeral of former prime minister Abe said this was ‘not a wise decision’.

Mikhail Shvydkoy, special representative of the Russian president for international cultural cooperation, said that supporting Putin’s policies did not mean having less talent as a musician. He added that Russian culture is an integral part of global culture.

For Gergiev this is a severe blow – not just for himself and the Mariinsky company but, more intimately, for his plans to launch his teenaged son Abisal as an international pianist.

Those plans are now on ice.