Japan protests Russian military buildup plan in decades-old islands dispute

Clear to the non Japanese world that the Russian's will not surrender any of the disputed islands. Japanese politicians are the only politicians in the world that believe the lies they tell.

Wait! Weren't we supposed to believe Abe had schmoozed Putin into compliance? Didn't he vigorously soap his back in the onsen in Yamaguchi?

Spoils of War. Oh yeah, karmas a bitch too

I wonder whether master Trump will offer a shoulder to cry on? Oh wait, he and Putin are pals.

I don't think anyone outside of Japan believes Russia will return the islands. So the question is whether the Japanese government has misled the public or did Putin deceive Japan about it's intentions?

Disputed territory is Russia's new currency in this age, their blighted country is too squalid to offer anything else. Putin has no intention of returning any of those islands as it can be used for future political leverage. Not until Putin is removed will there be any real progress in Russia

Didn't Japan grab Hokkaido from the Ainu and it wasn't formally a part of Japan until 1868. So, Japan lost those islands in 1945, which means that they had the islands for 77 years..This is about the same length that Russia has had them. When a country goes to war to try to expand their boundaries and loses, there aren't going to get much sympathy from the world community.

Didn't Japan grab Hokkaido from the Ainu and it wasn't formally a part of Japan until 1868. So, Japan lost those islands in 1945, which means that they had the islands for 77 years..This is about the same length that Russia has had them. When a country goes to war to try to expand their boundaries and loses, there aren't going to get much sympathy from the world community.

Well yes that is true, and the same thing happened to Okinawa at about the same time. Funny how no one disputes the ownership of Okinawa....... Oh yeah there is that pesky China........

“If the move leads to the reinforcement of Russian military on the islands, it would be incompatible with Japan’s stance and it is regrettable as they are inherently our territory,”

Awwww! Regrettable, regrettable, regrettable. They can regret it until the cows come home. If only they regretted going to war (and not just losing it) they wouldn't have lost that and other islands to begin with. They are not in any way, shape, or form Japanese islands. They are Russian. Japan has had chances to get some of the four returned, and have blown it in favor of appealing to nationalist sentament, and now they have none... again.

Russia can do as it pleases with the islands, and that's all there is to it. When China says "it's regrettable" when Japan does any action regarding the Senkakus, does the Japanese government care? Nope! So why should those nations care what Japan thinks about those nation's islands?

Get ready for more of the same double standards and "it's different" that we saw on yesterdays Dokdo-related thread.

Russia illegally stole those islands and doesn't seem to want to return them; but when has Russia ever cared about International Law? As long as Japan is hamstringed by being the only country in the world with a "pacifist constitution" nothing much it can do about it. If Japan had a normal constitution like every other country in the world this issue might have been settled long ago and the islands would have been returned.

Of course all the Japan haters on this site will quite naturally side with Russia. If China demanded Japan hand over the Senkaku Islands and Okinawa to China, then all the Japan haters would agree with China too. I cannot fathom why so many people on this site, who presumably live and work in Japan hate it so much, but that's the way it is. Some people are just born to hate, its who they are and what they do.

So, what is your position, A Realist? That Japan is good and China, Russia and "liberals" can all be lumped together as unrealistic or haters or plain evil in opposition to poor, put-upon Japan? As a liberal, who really knows what it means, I can tell you I have no time for China or Russia, and to the extent that Japan is illiberal I have no time for it either. Why do you naturally side with Japan? Is there a rational reason? Is it the model of exclusion, nationalism and ultimately hatred that you wish your own country would be? There are a lot like that. But surely Russia and its nonsensical anti-intellectual bile would be a natural ally too.

A Realist: "Russia illegally stole those islands"

They didn't "steal" them, they captured them in war time. And there's nothing illegal about that. Japan took them some 70 years beforehand to begin with. You going to say Russia should return it to Japan's previous owners? Nope.

"and doesn't seem to want to return them"

Wrong again. Russia has more than once expressed willingness to return at least two. Japan only wants all four. So, Japan gets none.

"Of course all the Japan haters on this site will quite naturally side with Russia."

Awww... the usual, "I have no answer and disagree with you, so you are a hater".

"f China demanded Japan hand over the Senkaku Islands and Okinawa to China, then all the Japan haters would agree with China too."

The hater nonsense aside, no, no one has stated that they would side with China on the issue. In fact, most of the people who side with Russia on this and/or South Korea with Dokdo state that Japan has the better claim to the Senkakus for the same reasons those nations do with their islands. So, wrong again... again...

"Some people are just born to hate, its who they are and what they do."

He says in a vitriolic post. Try coming up with constructive criticism as to why you think people are wrong, and better yet, proof of why. "You are a basher/hater" is proof of nothing except that you cannot carry on a rational discussion and cannot back up your arguments. It is the same argument that many politicians here use when they don't like the judgement of international bodies and feel like they are being victimised, when they are in fact often the aggressors or in the wrong.

@A Realist: I am also stunned by this as well. Most people on this site can be assumed to live and work here yet have such hatred and spite for the country, it's astonishing they can put up with such presumably miserable lives. Very disturbing to know that randoms walking around on the street are so full of anger

Abe has poked the bear(Putin), he kept harassing Russia over land returns although Mr Abe pretended being friendly to Russia. Poor Japanese diplomacy skills has to be blamed!

@A Realist: I am also stunned by this as well. Most people on this site can be assumed to live and work here yet have such hatred and spite for the country, it's astonishing they can put up with such presumably miserable lives. Very disturbing to know that randoms walking around on the street are so full of anger

Just because some people voice concerns about certain policies of a government doesn't mean we hate the country, or walk around miserable.. I in fact love many aspects of Japan.

dcog9065: "I am also stunned by this as well. Most people on this site can be assumed to live and work here yet have such hatred and spite for the country, it's astonishing they can put up with such presumably miserable lives. Very disturbing to know that randoms walking around on the street are so full of anger"

And yet, if you were asked how badly you wanted Japan to be like North Korea while demanding everyone sing nothing but praises and offer no critical opinions of anything, you'd say you don't want it to be like North Korea at all -- except what you're REALLY saying is that it should be exactly the same. You're not 'a hater' or 'full of hate' just because you question something. You're brainwashed if you think there is nothing to question.

Now, wouldn't that be called a "menage a trois"

Actually more like an Abe gang rape.

Just because some people voice concerns about certain policies of a government doesn't mean we hate the country, or walk around miserable.. I in fact love many aspects of Japan.

Exactly!

And yet, if you were asked how badly you wanted Japan to be like North Korea while demanding everyone sing nothing but praises and offer no critical opinions of anything, you'd say you don't want it to be like North Korea at all -- except what you're REALLY saying is that it should be exactly the same. You're not 'a hater' or 'full of hate' just because you question something. You're brainwashed if you think there is nothing to question.

Excellent point

If not already, Russia will realize Japan's friendly-to-your-face-yet-talk-behind-your-back attitude.