politics

Russia deploys missiles to Pacific islands claimed by Japan

75 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

75 Comments
Login to comment

Good luck to Japan in recovering the Kurils but it ain't gonna happen.

3 ( +22 / -19 )

Uyoku are going to be even louder than normal.

4 ( +13 / -9 )

More proof that Russia is no friend of Japan.

We never signed a peace agreement with Russia because of this reason. Taking islands which belong to Japan.

Russia as a gesture of friendship and peace, should have given back those islands to Japan, just like the USA gave back Okinawa.

Russia with a population similar to Japan, has 10000x the Size Mass. Biggest country on Earth, So large it has boarders with Poland in Europe all the way to China and Japan's back door in the Pacific. So large it covers all the time zones on Earth.

Russia=The eternal enemy of East Asia. Has always taken land the first chance they have, the first weakness they detect.

2 ( +22 / -20 )

Russia, you got Crimea back. So why don’t you give the Northern Territories back to Japan. They’re just barren little islands.

1 ( +18 / -17 )

Perhaps a gesture to the incoming war mongering pro China administration in the USA .

-3 ( +11 / -14 )

Following the CCP playbook that has been working in the region. Take just a little, but not so much that mlitary action happens. Wait a little time, take some more. Wait a litttle more, take some more.

Repeat.

17 ( +21 / -4 )

newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga

Unelected!!! Selected by the Abe gang!!!

Russia, you got Crimea back. So why don’t you give the Northern Territories back to Japan. They’re just barren little islands.

Those island are of extreme tactical importance to Russia just as Crimea, there is no chance for them to be ever returned to Japan! It is about time Japan excepts this and move on...

1 ( +15 / -14 )

Japan has now wasted 60+ Years on a useless mission. The Russians will keep the Islands.

Russia must show friendship ? Who started the war in the Pacific again ? Loss of territory, if indeed the Islands were historically Japanese, is a consequence of losing a war. Not only for those starting one. France “ forgot “ to return a part of Flanders to Belgium after the 1st world war and we were allies. But so what ? It is now called France and i don’t see the problem.

4 ( +16 / -12 )

Calm down. Putin has been irrelevant since the Wuhan Flu. He is trying to show "Hey I'm still here. Be afraid, be very afraid"

Just a donkey in a China shop. (wink wink)

0 ( +12 / -12 )

Jaapn triggered war and lost war.

What does the country expect ?

Loser loses and winner takes it all.

Next time, think better.

So far, Japan has won many economic war and no one said to give back money.

4 ( +19 / -15 )

A complete and utter waste of money and time on the part of Russia. Japan has no intentions of attacking anyone. Putin would be much better off spending the money to raise the standard of living of the average Russian.

13 ( +19 / -6 )

Declare the islands as neutral territory. Grant dual citizenship to all residents after living there for ten years (like PR here in Japan). Open the borders for business and tourism. No weaponry, of course.

Whale watching, etc., fishing, farming. Peace could be achieved this way.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Things must be bad back home if Putin is stirring up trouble to distract his citizens.

9 ( +15 / -6 )

Its not like Russia doesnt have enough land. I wish Japan would invade those islands and take them back.

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

Its OK. Anyways, peace treaty with Russia has no value. Japan just should try not to loose more islands :)

8 ( +11 / -3 )

This is exactly the action Japan should take on the Senkaku Islands. Russia will NEVER return/give back those Islands. Get over it. That's the way Communist are.

China will take the Senkakus from Japan soon if Japan does not act to protect their Islands!!

Don't trust America after Biden get into office as US President. He has historical ties with China,

-3 ( +12 / -15 )

S-300 is two generation old missile system, I guess they have just found it in warehouse

5 ( +8 / -3 )

@Carl N Jpn Gcjp

This is exactly the action Japan should take on the Senkaku Islands. 

Japan can't do that without risking an all out invasion from China.

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

Putin and his russian gang are also a big thread to world piece.

Look what they are doing with the Krim.

2 ( +11 / -9 )

More warmongering from Putin. Once he is gone, Japan will get her islands back, send the Russians home, clean them up, and develop them into big eco-resorts.

-3 ( +13 / -16 )

Russia, you got Crimea back. So why don’t you give the Northern Territories back to Japan. They’re just barren little islands.

Reminding to the US that Russia has a presence in East Asia. Geopolitical reasons.

Uyoku are going to be even louder than normal.

Lucky for them, Russian mafias aren't unleashed on Japan yet. In Europe, anyone, who is anti-Putin, was and will be brutally neutralized.

Calm down. Putin has been irrelevant since the Wuhan Flu. He is trying to show "Hey I'm still here. Be afraid, be very afraid"

Thanks to Donald, Russia gained supremacy over most of the Middle East. If Russia controls the oil fields on the world, that's absolutely a huge advantage.

Nah, he just wants to remind Japan that it should ditch the US and become neutral. Of course, it won't ever happen.

Declare the islands as neutral territory. Grant dual citizenship to all residents after living there for ten years (like PR here in Japan). Open the borders for business and tourism. No weaponry, of course.

Whale watching, etc., fishing, farming. Peace could be achieved this way.

Putin wants the US out of Japan, not peace.

Japan will never get them back but if it did, tetrapods would be the first thing to happen. Then concrete hillsides. At the moment they are still pristine.

Exactly.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Good on Russia.

-4 ( +13 / -17 )

The surprise attack on Russia by the Japanese back in 1904, may have been forgotten by the Japanese, but not by the Russians.

Pearl Harbor was another.

These surprise attacks throughout history clearly shows that the Japanese seek weakness and the element of surprise when conducting war.

If I were a Russian, and with the benefit of hindsight, I too would be in total agreement with my government’s decision.

3 ( +15 / -12 )

I don't know all the details, but afaik the Yalta Agreement gave the Kuril Islands to Russia. And most of the people living in those islands are russians.

Japan is just trying to get those islands saying that:

They didn't sign the Yalta Agreement (well... of course...)

They want the most southern islands, that they don't recognize as part of the Kurils.

I guess because the first ones to live there were Ainu... but looking at what japanese did to them, I wouldn't push much on this point :)
11 ( +18 / -7 )

Just a donkey in a China shop. (wink wink)

ok if theyre just a donkey then taking back those islands will be a breeze, go ahead good luck lol

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

There's no way Russia will ever give them back while Japan is basically a giant American military base. They know that if they did the Americans would militarize them against them.

TLDR; Get rid of the US military if you want those islands back, Japan

0 ( +8 / -8 )

The continued building and fortifying of the islands in dispute is the best signal of Russian intentions. They do not intend on returning the islands they consider the spoils of war.

Japan can accept the current situation and move to sign a peace deal and move forward or it can continue to object in the far fetched hopes that one day Russia will just change its mind and return the islands it has spent millions of rubles developing, populating and fortifying. Japan may have more hope of attempting to buy them back lock stock and barrel so that Russia can show a profit rather than a loss by just giving them back free of charge. It would allow Russia to hand them back without Putin losing face and able to pacify dissenters in the Russian parliament by showing a profit in doing so. They are a clear strategic asset for Russia so just giving them away is not a viable option, even if some consider it the right thing to do.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

In beefing up the missile defense system at the islands with the most modern arsenal, Russia appears to be real serious in wanting to keep the Kuril, despite Japan's continual claim of the ownership. What could Tokyo do?

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Time and geography is on Japan's side. The Russian Far East is rapidly depopulating

and it will only be a matter of time before China takes Siberia. When that happens and Russia is split in two,

Japan can take all the islands back. In the meantime I would recommend that Japan build 3000 nuclear warheads.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

The islands Russia took over following WW2 have significant strategic value in protecting Russia’s east coast. Barring some unforeseen calamity- there is little chance Russia will part with them.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

robert maesToday  07:52 am JST

Japan has now wasted 60+ Years on a useless mission. The Russians will keep the Islands.

Russia must show friendship ? Who started the war in the Pacific again ? Loss of territory, if indeed the Islands were historically Japanese, is a consequence of losing a war. 

Here we go again. The four islands became Japanese by a negotiated treaty with Russia in 1855. They were never included in territories that were to be taken away from Japan at the end of WWII. The USSR STOLE these islands just like they stole Eastern Europe. They most certainly were historically Japanese, it was Russia itself that signed the agreement.

The four islands are considered Japanese Territory under Russian administration (ie; illegal occupation) by the United States, United Kingdom and the European Parliament.

That they are presently occupied by Russia is a consequence of Russia's theft of foreign territory, just like Crimea. Has nothing to do with a consequence of WWII.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Give us back our Hoppo Ryodo!!!!

Bet the scene outside the Russian Embassy is going to be a hoot this Sunday.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Japan needs to face up the reality of its aggression during WW2, and to pay its price for the lesson, I don't think Russian will ever return this islands and probably it'll be Russianized eventually. Personally I would not return none of the islands, as I do not ever want to see US or Japan to build military base in my backyard. The likelihood of returning 2 islands seems possible if and when US completely withdraw its troops from Japan.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Sometimes I wonder how the world would have been different if Japan had surrendered sooner (no divided Korea and Japan would still have those islands) or if Japan surrendered later (a North and South Japan to go along with a North and South Korea. At least no Hokkaido).

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

All Aegis missile defense systems currently deployed or to be deployed are against missiles supposedly coming from across the Sea of Japan. How will they deal with missiles coming from the Sea of Okhotsk or the Northern Pacific? And how much will the price for Aegis systems, if they were to be newly deployed in eastern Hokkaido either at sea or on land, amount to? 

Arms build-up will only end up in chickens coming home to roost.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

@ReasonandWisdomNippon

I agree with what you say, but Okinawa has not been 'given back'. Same with mainland Japan.

What do you think all these US bases really are? Excuse-wise they say it's to protect Japan from nearby threats such as nazi china. In reality it's to control Japan and its territories itself. I guess you have to be a non-US foreigner to see this.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

wtfjapan: ok if theyre just a donkey then taking back those islands will be a breeze, go ahead good luck lol

Here is a bit of a flash for you. The LDP posturing over these islands the last 60 years is for domestic consumption alone. It is to make the plebes believe that the LDP is the only hope to "get them back". To stir up the nationalists. EVERYONE knows Japan will NEVER get them back.

Yes, Putin is a donkey in a China shop. Putin knows Russia will never get any better than it is now. He has begged China the last 10 years for tariff free trade deals, economic deals tying the Ruble to the Chinese Renminbi, and settling their own border disputes with China. Xi has led Putin along by a leash. Xi can't deal with Putin or he loses face. The day Xi took power he promised to "tame Putin". Making deals and he loses face and the CCP coups Xi with the PLA.

Most of this "struggle" in diplomatic sphere is for the domestic audience and to play them like puppets. They need a Goldstein to distract the masses.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Russia never gives back, ask Ukraine

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Not sure why Russia needs to place missiles on these islands. Japan at some point is going to have to respond in kind.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

It looks like some people here do not know the history of how Crimea ended up being part of Ukraine...

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Not sure why Russia needs to place missiles on these islands. Japan at some point is going to have to respond in kind.

You think Russia trusts China or US, do you???

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

A complete and absolute waste of money and time on Russia's side. Japan doesn't want to attack anybody. To increase the standard of living of the average Russian, Putin will be much better off saving money.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Jonathan PrinToday  08:07 am JST

Jaapn triggered war and lost war.

What does the country expect ?

Loser loses and winner takes it all.

Wrong. Japan and the USSR signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Japan, meaning neither would attack the other. But in the final days of WWII, Stalin broke the agreement and attacked Japan, and in violation of the Potsdam and Cairo declarations, took the four islands which were never part of Russia, and were not taken in war. The USSR took the islands after Japan declared unconditional surrender. That the U.S. which took Okinawa and returned it to Japan, and helped rebuild a war torn Japan while Russia took the Southern Kuriles, has done nothing for Japan and refuses to return them exposes the nature of Russia as a country.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

saiaku (Today 02:12 pm JST),

You're seeing through the true nature of things correctly. U.S. forces are here not necessarily to defend Japan but essentially to defend the U.S.'s own interest -- that is, to defend the U.S.'s hegemony in this part of the Pacific and ultimately its own security.

The Japanese taxpayers are naive enough to believe the U.S. forces are here to defend Japan and so willing to provide them with bases for free; not only that, but they are willing to shoulder an enormous amount of base maintenence costs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is fearful that if the southern Kurils were returned to Japan, they might be used for U.S. bases to confront and contain Russia.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Those war events took place between Soviet Union and Japan , not Russia and Japan. Therefore we have to go back to the state of late 1917. The four islands are surely Japanese and have to be given back , because the Soviet Union doesn’t exist anymore , so it would be a formal second or re-annexation dated 1990 by current Russia, and then there also should be negotiations about all other Kurils up to Kamchatka and the southern half of Karafuto/Sakhalin as a package. Every good atlas page or map shows those areas all in white, meaning still object of negotiations. Whatever sometimes is told, there is no difference in maps of my old school days and currently sold maps at 100¥-stores. In addition, the Soviet Union is away, so there isn’t anybody left to sign a peace treaty. Peaceful coexistence should be normal and possible anyway. And the negotiations about those areas can be those four islands as the valid current minimum for Japan, all the rest of the islands up to Kamchatka and southern Kurafuto, what would be a improbable maximum for Japan, or anything between, all other islands for Japan and Sakhalin fully for Russia or southern Kurafuto for Japan and all other islands above those four to Russia. I have personally no understanding for other or current solutions as all maps and atlases are clear to see and show what to do.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Had the war not ended when it did, Hokkaido would have become a part of Russia and maybe Tohoku as well . Japan is very lucky it did not end up like Korea split into two. She had to fight the US in Okinawa and face the Soviets in the north.

Pick your poison. The Americans have treated the Japanese much better than how the Soviets would have done.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

We can debate this, debate that. Recall history and long ago accords that should have got signed, or not.

History will judge Russia, and it will not bode well for the Russians. I sense Vlad behind it.

Soon more macho outdoors men or Harley Davidson pictures coming with the incoming soft Biden coming in.

Leave the shirt on this time Vlad.

The fact is. Its a defense system put online. To what end though? For what? So now Russian's have advanced fighter jets and anti-ship missiles there. Again to what end? To protect Russia from what? The Japan nuclear (nonexistent) threat? Its airspace? It a muscle flex to show the world. Were here. Its our island chain.

Again we have to go back to the fact that. Would this be happening if Japan had nuclear deterrents?

I think its a valid question. Why take a knife to gun fight? Right agreed, Russia is no friend of Nippon!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

LucaToday  11:13 am JST

I don't know all the details, but afaik the Yalta Agreement gave the Kuril Islands to Russia. And most of the people living in those islands are russians.

I agree with you that you do not know all the details. The Allied powers gave Stalin the right to take the "Kuriles" which meant the Kuriles that Japan took from Russia in 1904. In 1945 Stalin used the term "Southern Kuriles" in a letter to Truman, knowing that there was a huge difference in interpretation. This is part of why thje other WWII Allied natons do not recognize Russia's sovereignty over these four islands to this day.

I also agree with you that the current residents are Russians. This was achieved by forced deportation of 17,000 Japanese civilians at gunpoint, many of whom had been there for generations. Then Russia populated the islands with immigrants from other parts of Russia using economic incentives.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

OssanAmericaToday 12:29 pm JST

The four islands became Japanese by a negotiated treaty with Russia in 1855.

No doubt. It doesn't override the later Yalta Agreement, which is consistent with the Potsdam Declaration because it makes it clear other than those four big islands, all the little islands are at the discretion of the allies even if they aren't taken by greed (Item 8), and trying to say "South Kuriles" isn't "Kuriles" or some similar crap isn't going to get you far.

That the United States and United Kingdom reversed themselves for political reasons is not exactly the glowing moment of their history, and any interpretation that says sovereignty belongs to Japan is a karate kick regarding the final version of the San Francisco Treaty. You can't give up sovereignty and not give it up at the same time.

I generally side with the Japanese on territorial disputes but not when the Treaty text itself goes against their assertions.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The fact is. Its a defense system put online. To what end though? For what? So now Russian's have advanced fighter jets and anti-ship missiles there. Again to what end? To protect Russia from what?

It is called "area denial" and is to keep potential enemy forces further away from Russia. Exactly what China is doing in the South China sea. Both understand it is better to fight enemies away from your territory rather than on it. Seems some have learned lessons from WWII and from America having so many forward bases away from its own borders.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

S-300 is two generation old missile system, I guess they have just found it in warehouse

The system in this instance is S-300V4. While the S-300 family of missiles dates back to the Cold War era, just as with America's Standard Missile family of missiles, they have kept making ever more advanced versions over the years. S-300V4 is their most advanced version. It uses two different missiles, one for air defense carried 4 per tracked vehicle and a much larger ballistic missile defense variant that is carried two per vehicle. It has better radars too.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

All Aegis missile defense systems currently deployed or to be deployed are against missiles supposedly coming from across the Sea of Japan. How will they deal with missiles coming from the Sea of Okhotsk or the Northern Pacific? And how much will the price for Aegis systems, if they were to be newly deployed in eastern Hokkaido either at sea or on land, amount to? 

Number one, S-300 V4 is an air defense and ballistic missile defense system. It is not a land attack missile system and it doesn't have the range to reach Japanese territory from Iturup.

The Aegis battle management system and its radars were designed back in the 1970s for fleet air defense where the Soviets would be attacking NATO ships from all points on the compass at once with scores and perhaps hundreds of missiles. It is a 360 degree system capable of tracking and engaging hundreds of incoming targets in all directions. Then the US Navy had to come up with the Vertical Launch System because the old fashioned arm launchers could not fire missiles fast enough to avoid being saturated by an attack. VLS can launch missiles at 1 second intervals. The current system has evolved over time into a very successful ballistic missile defense system. There are no limits on the direction it can operate. The system can control hundreds of simultaneous intercepts. And the current versions of Standard Missile greatly outrange anything the Russians or Chinese have. The Russians only wish they had something this good.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

A complete and absolute waste of money and time on Russia's side. Japan doesn't want to attack anybody. To increase the standard of living of the average Russian, Putin will be much better off saving money.

No, Japan doesn't, but if the US came into conflict with Russia the US Marines would be on those islands very quickly. An S-300 V4 battery doesn't buy the Russians all that much protection either but it looks good symbolically which is a big deal to Mr. Putin.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not sure why Russia needs to place missiles on these islands. Japan at some point is going to have to respond in kind.

They're air defense and ballistic missile defense missiles. They are not used for land attack or to attack ships. That far up the Kuriles they can't reach Hokkaido. Their range is on the order of 200 km.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Are we going to war???

0 ( +2 / -2 )

septim:

Reminding to the US that Russia has a presence in East Asia.

Yeah,and USA has a presence in North America.

Hell, Germany has a presence in Europe.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@ Desert Tortoise, their "defense" missiles can target aircraft over Japan. I think Japan should station some PacIII in northern Japan for defensive purposes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@ Desert Tortoise, their "defense" missiles can target aircraft over Japan. I think Japan should station some PacIII in northern Japan for defensive purposes.

PAC 3 isn't an air defense missile. It's pretty strictly a short range point defense weapon for use against incoming ballistic missiles. It has a very short range. PAC 2 is actually a better air defense missile but really there is no substitute for fighter aircraft in the air. US doctrine doesn't rely on big heavy and not very mobile air defense missiles like the Russians do. The US instead relies on taking those very systems out early in a war while establishing air dominance over enemy territory.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Are we going to war???

Good grief no. All that happened is the Russians stuck some air defense missiles on one of the Kurile Islands. Life goes on.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@ Desert Tortoise then put in pac 2 for air defense. the Russians could use theirs to shoot down ours

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@OssanAmerica

I agree with you that you do not know all the details. The Allied powers gave Stalin the right to take the "Kuriles" which meant the Kuriles that Japan took from Russia in 1904. In 1945 Stalin used the term "Southern Kuriles" in a letter to Truman, knowing that there was a huge difference in interpretation. This is part of why thje other WWII Allied natons do not recognize Russia's sovereignty over these four islands to this day.

And I'm sure you know a lot more details and facts than me, but still I don't see the difference. I mean, I can't find any official source saying that "Kuriles" means only "Northern Kuriles" and not all the islands, like it would be logic. Honestly a word used in a letter by someone, doesn't make it official. And if other nations changed their mind later (something not so uncommon), it just makes things more complicated.

I also agree with you that the current residents are Russians. This was achieved by forced deportation of 17,000 Japanese civilians at gunpoint, many of whom had been there for generations. Then Russia populated the islands with immigrants from other parts of Russia using economic incentives.

That's true... and Japan achieved to have Japanese civilians there by forced assimilation of the original Ainu inhabitants, and then sending other Japanese to live there.

So I guess we should give them back to the Ainu :)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan can recognise the present situation and move to sign a peace agreement and move on, or in the far-fetched expectations that one day Russia will either change its mind and restore the islands it has invested millions of rubles building, populating and improving, it can continue to object. Japan may have more hope of trying to buy them back lock stock and barrel, so that by offering them back free of charge, Russia may show a profit instead of a loss.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Russia still butthurt about the Battles of Port Arthur and Tsushima ^_^

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The island has already been subject to military build-up with small operational bases, but the deployment of surface-to-air missiles is considered a major new provocation. There's little doubt it's in relation to the US Navy's "freedom of navigation" operations in the area, which Russia says are intent on violating its maritime rights.

zerohedge
1 ( +1 / -0 )

@ Desert Tortoise then put in pac 2 for air defense. the Russians could use theirs to shoot down ours

Like I mentioned earlier, US doctrine is to rely on combat aircraft, not ground based missiles, for area defense. Why? The Russians and most of their allies cannot afford the number of flight hours on their airframes necessary to develop the skills of their pilots to the same degree as US and most NATO member combat aircrew have. US and NATO pilots fly a lot and the great majority of their flying is tactical training. They fly an order of magnitude more hours per year than their Russian counterparts or those of most Russian allies. Additionally their aircraft and especially their jet engines are no where near as durable as their western counterparts. A MiG-29 engine has a time between overhaul of 400 hours, but 75% of them fail before they hit 400 hours. Western jet engines typically have a 1500 to 3000 hour time between overhaul and almost never fail before they hit those hours. Likewise Russian airframes are rated for around 1000 to 2000 total flight hours where western jets typically are designed for a 10,000 hour life that can be extended in a major overhaul to as much as 20,000 hours. As a result the Russians are more or less forced to rely on big ground based air defense systems for area defense. Their air forces don't have the skills to protect their airspace the way western nations do because they can't afford the fight hours necessary to develop the same level of skills.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Kuril Island is to Japan what the da-kine Tiau Yu Tai isles are to Yilan county, Taiwan.

Both are usurped and occupied by a foreign power more powerful than the legal claimant.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

LucaDec. 3  12:55 pm JST

@OssanAmerica

I agree with you that you do not know all the details. The Allied powers gave Stalin the right to take the "Kuriles" which meant the Kuriles that Japan took from Russia in 1904. In 1945 Stalin used the term "Southern Kuriles" in a letter to Truman, knowing that there was a huge difference in interpretation. This is part of why thje other WWII Allied natons do not recognize Russia's sovereignty over these four islands to this day.

And I'm sure you know a lot more details and facts than me, but still I don't see the difference. I mean, I can't find any official source saying that "Kuriles" means only "Northern Kuriles" and not all the islands, like it would be logic. Honestly a word used in a letter by someone, doesn't make it official. And if other nations changed their mind later (something not so uncommon), it just makes things more complicated.

Maybe you can understand this. The WWII Allied powers declared that Japan will lose all territories taken by war. This is why on losing the war, Japan lost Taiwan, the Pescadores, Sakhalin, etc. They also declared that the Allied nations would not take any more land from Japan than those that were taken by Japan. The Kurile chain runs from Sakhalin southward towards Hokkaido. The last four islands have been Japanese by a negotiated Treaty with Russia going back to 1855. They were never taken by war and was considered exempt by the Allied powers. The USSR invaded these 4 islands after Japan declared surrender. This was all part of the USSR's massive land grab to counter the United States resulting in Soviet control of Eastern Europe. Look up the Potsdam and Cairo Declaration texts and you will see why the US, UK and EU consider these islands to be Japanese territory under Russian administration (ie; occupation).

I also agree with you that the current residents are Russians. This was achieved by forced deportation of 17,000 Japanese civilians at gunpoint, many of whom had been there for generations. Then Russia populated the islands with immigrants from other parts of Russia using economic incentives.

That's true... and Japan achieved to have Japanese civilians there by forced assimilation of the original Ainu inhabitants, and then sending other Japanese to live there.

So I guess we should give them back to the Ainu :)

These 4 islands were not home to the Ainu although they were fishing grounds. There were Ainu settlements on the Shiretoko Penninsula. The Ainu are an aboriginal people who consider themselves, regardless of their unique culture, and are recognized legally as being "Japanese". Giving the islands back to Japan is the same as giving them back to the Ainu,

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites