Abe to visit Russia next week for summit with Putin

Russia will never return the islands to Japan. The islands make Russian ships go out from Vladivostok to the Pacific Ocean easy.

Strange little article that fails to mention a few rather important points:

The St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is Russia’s most important annual business event.

2018 is the Year of Japan-Russia Culture

This is the culmination of Abe's "new approach" to Russia that started in 2016, the moment of truth for that policy.

If Shinzo can't swing anything here then that "new approach" is dead. The Japanese government has invested a lot of time and energy preparing for this so another failure would be a disaster. Shinzo has worked very hard for this too so coming home empty-handed would be a personal failure as well. Whatever happens though the Japanese Corporate Media will hail it as a great success and praise Shinzo's skill in dealing with Putin.

If Trump and Kim can meet, then so can Abe and Putin!

Japan is seeking to settle the territorial dispute over the islands

It can be settled by saying bye-bye. This is sounding like a broken record.

Abe is way out of his depth in dealing with Putin.

Seriously, is there one person on this forum who seriously thinks that Russia will ever return those islands to Japan? I mean, when is the last time Russia gave away a portion of their territory once they held it?

Russia is unlikely to ever give back what they stole. They never do. But depending on the extent to which Russo-Japanese relations develop, it is within the realm of possibility that some joint administration system may eventually be implemented,

Excellent. I am sure a lot can be achieved in this big 4 day Summit, PM Abe and Putin get along very well, huge respect between them. Japan has good relation with Russia, unlike West.

Joint ownership of the 4 islands is the ultimate goal, and can be achieved. Japan can develop the island into tourist meccas, and boom the islands economy, and jobs. Win-win for both.

Ossan - agree entirely. In the current world geo-political setting, no country is relinquishing territory, the least being Russia.

There's the obvious nationalistic pride reason, but equally or even more important is the economic gain from resources and the military / strategic out-post, buffer zone the islands create.

As Ossan hinted the only possibility of any Japanese involvement would be in some administrative capacity, allowable only by considerable sums of money poured into development / infrastructure by Japanese companies / govt.

And in such a scenario,, there would be no giving up even an inkling of sovereignty.  Just pay the money and you can hang around. Putin's regime and any foreseeble future regime is highly unlikely to deviate from this plan.

Once Putin sees the tourist boom in Japan, he will consider joint ownership. The islands can go from zero tourists to million dollar tourist industry. Create jobs and big money for Russians and Japanese in Hokkaido. This is the sales pitch PM Abe will bring.

Gump Japan!: Once Putin sees the tourist boom in Japan, he will consider joint ownership. The islands can go from zero tourists to million dollar tourist industry. Create jobs and big money for Russians and Japanese in Hokkaido. This is the sales pitch PM Abe will bring.

Hey there ganbare, perhaps you can share with the rest of us. Putin sees the tourist boom in Japan for what it is, foreigners going to Japan to see Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagasaki, sometimes other Kyushu venues for golf resorts. There is nothing of value for tourism on those islands now or ever. Russia keeps them because Russia can and Japan's pols will keep throwing hissy fits like they are programmed to do for sheer local consumption.

Japan is best served dealing with it sown set of problems about to implode the nation rather than this childish bs about islands with Russia, useless rocks with South Korea, and uninhabitable sand dunes with China. Rather than making enemies, it is best for Japan to try making friends.

PM Abe should give two puppies from same mother when he gives puppy to Alina Zagitova. As my experienced, one puppy will be lonely when the owner went out or away for business. The dog always terrified when the owner wasn't home, regardless of big or small. They always wanted their own all time with them even other family members are living at home. Two brothers or sister and brother is the best option to have dogs and they must be desexed if they were brother and sister.

Russia will never return those islands. The only way Japan would ever get them back would be to take them back through war and that's not going to happen.

@ganbare, "Japan can develop the island into tourist meccas, and boom the islands economy, and jobs. Win-win for both". really? I have seen a program all about these islands and TBH its a bleak, desolate, island, very little grows there, I really can't see a casino in the middle of the island with question of people around the block, as for tourism, well there could be some, but not millions of people, may be a few thousand, I understand that there are and were Japanese people live on this island and yes they should be allowed to visit relatives graves, and carry on living there.

Abe of too much approaches to Trump is a framework that Putin won't trust Abe. I remember Japan of LDP have spent a lot of money to resolve Northern territories. Putin offered once a propose of agreement of devolving 2 islands when Russia had better relation with Japan concerning Northern Territory but Abe denied, cleared the agreement focus nothing but 4 islands. If Abe accepted that propose of 2 islands agreement at that meeting held, this next meeting could obtain better results. But I suppose this meeting won't make any progress of Northern Territories but much bilateral economic cooperation Putin is eager to realize. Northern territory won't advance to any agreement with this Abe administration. I feel Abe instinctive confrontation with Putin than a friendly approach.

History has have proven that unless "purchased", territories once occupied are never recovered without military action. But economies are influences and affected by negotiaions and any negotiating situation and environment is beneficial for both parties.

Much of what Abe and Putin do now will be changed when NK and US meet and how NK and SK aligns with China. Russia will wait out to see where it all goes. Abe needs to make sure of Russia's current posturing and possible action after the NK, SK, US meeting concludes. So this is a much desired meeting.

Japan's territory problem wil not change until Japan changes its laws to prevent foreign nationals from "buying" Japanese properties. Both Cinese and Russians have "purchased" thousands of square kilometers of land and hundreds of industries in Japan. So they have already made an irreversible impact. They "occupy" Japan.

Unlike China and Thailand, Japan no longer have control of their territory, regardless of international laws or Japanese laws. Interestingly, the USA has the same problem.

What price is Mr. Abe willing to pay for the islands? He’s desperate for a win somewhere. Will Putin give him one? Doubtful.