Jay Wilson comments

Christopher Glen: Japan is never going to get all 4 islands back. It just won't happen. All this continuing pining and flag waving is doing nothing but gratify the far-right. The only solution here is to accept Russia's 1956 offer (and one which they would agree to extend again) for the return of 2 of the islands to Japan. Moreover it makes Japan look somewhat hypocritical in its other territorial disputes with China and South Korea

You do talk a load of unmitigated rubbish. Russia did say that the '56 deal was still valid but then putin said they would now offer Japan no territory back. So next time, get your facts right. That balding dictator in the kremlin will never return any of the islands back to Japan

As miussh as I like PM Abe, I have to say thhat he is deluded if he thinks those Rusian barbarians,, who are currently destabalising Ukraiine, will return any of the islands back to Japan. Let tthe sanctions on putin and his ilk continuue

I hope he doesn't go, but why WOULD he WANT to go?

The Crown Princess looks amazingly beautiful for 51

This will achieve nothing as the brutal dictatorship in Pyongyang won't cooperate with the UN

sfjp330: If the meeting takes place between Putin and Abe, Japan will not focus on the island dispute. The Japanese goverment is focusing their efforts for a natural gas pipeline from Russia to cut energy costs. Japan will propose to build pipeline from Sakhalin Island to Japan and buy Russian gas at a price similar to the China deal. Japan has a long term energy problem and they know it.

And you don't think Japan will bring up the issue of the occupied islands?

Inviting putin to Japan will not resolve the dispute of Russia still occupying the Northern Territories. Japan will not get anything from this except empty and worthless promises

Smithinjapan: I got the phrase "worse than the nazis" because this is just one example of the sheer and utter barbarity of North Korea

This is further proof that the North Korean regime is as barbarous as the Nazis; maybe worse

Putin is a dictator and Russia is still occupying soverign Japanese islands that they refuse to return

Why can't Japan just deport the pro-North Koreans?

This sideline meeting will not get Japan anything save for more empty promises from the Putin dictatorship

Hugo Kempeneer: Chicken

How so?

Does anyone in Japan actually give two figs if putin goes to Japan or not?

Finally Abe is standing up to putin and showing him that Japan is against what he is doing in Ukraine and that dangling the Northern Territories will not get Jalan to suck up to moscow

If anyone here thinks that Russia will return any of the islands, then you are deluded

zaldaus: Why should Russia be offering anything at all? You shout a lot about something being stolen. Truth is, the USSR entry into war with Japan was a condition imposed by your allies U.S. and U.K. If you have a problem with that, perhaps it would be good to ask them why they imposed such conditions. Besides, Japan is still technically at war with Russia. There has not been any peace treaty. If your country surrendered, how come there is still no peace treaty between the two countries? It is because Japan does not want to sign any. Hence, Japan did not surrender to USSR/Russia, hence the war is still going on. And thereby, nothing has been stolen.

Actually, it is Russia that does not want to sign a peace treaty. If they did, they would have to return two of the islands, which they have no intention of doing. And you are wrong, the war ended when Japan surrendered; it was AFTER the surrender that the islands were stolen from Japan

turbotsat: If Russia had stolen Hokkaido as well, the lack of empathy from the rest of the world would still be evident, given that the backdrop consists of Manchukuo, Rape of Nanjing, bombing of Chongqing, etc., etc. Japan is SO lucky to have retained Hokkaido.

Luck had nothing to do with that; it was down to McArthur. And if Putin was serious about peace with Japan, then why not offer the two islands once again? But he won't do that as he is not serious about peace with Japan and wants to wring as much as he can out of Tokyo while giving NOTHING in return

Masaki Miyamoto: Takeshima - Seeking a Solution based on Law and Dialogue http://youtu.be/DYRHZX3m-bg

South Korea won't talk to Japan about the islands so 'Dialouge' with Japan about them is pointless

wonderer13: Yeah, it probably sound stupid, right? But, just remember how the WWI started. Who believed assassination of monarch could have led to a war? Anything can happen and no one knows what can happen in the future.

That will be a bit difficult as my grandmother has been dead these past 14 years

Kungaa Mergen: Which right Japan used, when it occupied Manzhou or Taiwan and etc.? Sword-law. So when USSR used sword-law against Japan - it becames some especial case?

Let me remind you of one thing: THE BIG BRAVE STOLE THE ISLANDS AFTER JAPAN SURRENDERED.

wonderer13: This potentially suggests a possible take over of hokkaido in not to distant future.

Yes, and if my grandmother had wheels she'd be a wagon

AlexNoaburg: Realistically, Russia lost twenty million in the war so they're prob not gonna give back islands just because they took it after japan raised up its hands. Japan is lucky they didn't take Hokkaido too.

So because they lost a few soldiers fighting the Nazis, that gives them the right to STEAL from an opponent who has SURRENDERED?

Putin may delay/cancel his trip to Japan as a result of the Japanese rightfully imposing sanctions on Moscow for the Russian actions in Ukraine but this all boils down to ONE thing; the Northern Territories.

sfjp330: In 2004, Putin indicated that the offer of a return of the two southernmost islands was still on the table, but showed no signs of relinquishing the two larger islands.

But he has said in 2006 that Russia will now give Japan no territory. So how can that offer still he on the table?

Does anyone in Japan actually give a stuff if that jiggling-moob megalomaniac goes to Japan or not?

Dylan Otoshiro: I can't help but think that by Japan taking sides in the Ukraine issue and imposing ridiculous sanctions on Russia, they've screwed themselves when it comes to the islands.

Even if they had not rightfully imposed sanctions, Putin and his ilk NEVER had any intention of solving this dispute with Japan.

Serrano: No, they're Japanese islands controlled by the Russians since they stole them at the end of WW2.

Well said my friend

Oh Lordy Lordy, Putin is considering not going to Japan, what ever will Tokyo do?

smithinjapan: and I suppose it would be ok if Japan conducted equivalent military drills in Hokkaido?

Methinks that Seoul and Beijing would not be happy with anything short of bulldozing over the entire shrine

I'm sure if South Korea stopped bitching about this,men Japan would apologise Nd Seoul can shut the hell up about ti

Everyone should remember one thing; Under Japanese law, those enshrined at Yasakuni were not classified as war criminals