Jay Wilson comments

Kazumichi: Jay Wilson,

Whether I think they belong to japan isn't the point. What's wrong here is why they can't argue this issue at ICJ. Why can't it have someone pass fair judgement? That's because Jp governors are meek and tame enough to let them keep refusing the judgement.

Japan has suggested, many times, taking the case over the illegally occupied islands to the ICJ but those Russian barbarians said nyet.

And all this bull-crap about Japanese sanctions for Russia stealing Crimea and provoking the crisis in Ukraine is total garbage, with or without the sanctions, Putin and his ilk NEVER had any intention of returning the islands to Japan

Burning Bush:As with any territorial dispute, this discussion can go on ad infinitum. The obvious fact is that Russia currently holds the islands and apparently intends to keep them. Perhaps Japan could buy them back.

Japan offered to buy them back, but the illegal occupiers in Moscow refused

zichi:Putin offered to return two of the islands in 2006, Japan declined.

The only source of information regarding that so-called offer was from Moscow. There is no proof that this was offered. There is also no proof that the Russians would have kept the promise to return two of the islands to Japan without asking for something that it knows Japan will not give them, like abrogating the Security Alliance with the US

Kazumichi: Diplomacy is one of what Jp governors suck at.

And I suppose you think that the Russians are the masters of negotiations regarding the stolen islands?

zichi: Russia has offered to return two of the islands in return for Japan giving up it s claims on the other two. Considering the events and history of the times, Japan needs to accept that offer and move on.

Are you totally blinded to the fact that it was RUSSIA that abrogated the most recent 'offer' to return the stolen islands.

This is proof that the island stealing barbarians in Moscow have NOnintention of returning any of the STOLEN islands back to Japan

With the new deals wi South America, Japan should reduce supplies of LNG from Russia as that would hurt the Russian economy

These sanctions are yet more pressure on Moscow to end its support for the rebel scum in Eastern Ukraine. If the situation were different and Crimea voted to leave Russia and join Ukraine, Russia would be in an uproar and want it back so why is it suddenly wrong to support the legal government in Kiev? And these sanctions are a reminder to Moscow that it can't use the STOLEN AND ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED Northern Territories as leverage to try and bully Jaoan into following Moscow's lead.

Finally, Japan is seeing sense and standing up to Russia

Moscow will pay for either shooting down the plane or giving the rebel scum the means to do it

If those barbarians in Moscow were interested in good relations with Japan, then how about offering to return two of the islands and actually sticking to the agreement, unlike last time

Let us not get to off track here; were talking about Russia, who have in the past shot down a civilian airliner

The fact that Japan is amping up sanctions on Russia, while being a good thing, should be noted that with or without the sanctions, Putin and his ilk never had ANY intention of returning any of he stolen islands back to Japan

globalwatcher: He has a silver tongue. He will tell every lie Japan wants to hear.

That should be kept in mind when he says Russia had nothing to do with downing that jet

Japan imposing more sanctions on Moscow will not affect the territorial dispute with Russia as that vodka-drinking idiot Putin had no intentions of returning ANY of the islands to japan

semperfi: The only "SATISFACTORY" result is the RETURN of ALL abductees. . . .......Why is No Korea profiting from its heinous crime ????

Well said, though in my opinion there should be NO relaxation of sanctions until this issue is sorted out

Strangerland: Japan can believe that all it wants, but the fact is that if China and S. Korea decide to make them diplomatic issues, there is nothing Japan can do about it. So Japan should deal with these diplomatic issues, rather than burying it's head in the sand and saying 'no, I don't wanna talk about that' like a spoiled child.

Just like there is nothing China and South Korea can do about Abe visiting Yasakuni or stationing radar on the Senkaku Islands

If these confessions are real, then I am Primus. And as far as confessions go, China should confess exactly how many died during the Great Leap Forward and Tianamen Square

Finally, Japqn will be able to stand up to China, the Koreas, Russia and anyone else who becomes aggressive without having to rely on the US for protection. This will also make China sit up and take notice that they can no longer bully Japan

So, South Korea is ignoring Japan's protests over this live-fire drill? Then when Japan blocks South Korean ships from transiting through Japanese waters to fish off the disputed Kuril Islands, Jalan should ignore Seoul's protests

Of course, everyone knows that doing this will get Japan to apologise for this....... NOT. How can you apologise for something that did not happen?

RIP Your Highness

Sidekick: Oh, really? Why ? The US goverment had restricted to sell any strategic equipment to Soviets during Cold War and Japanese Toshiba Corporation sold those milling machines despite a huge wave of anger from the USA. Soviets submarines got new blades for propellers and became invisible for US sonars. Was it a sign of respect from Japanese people to Soviet neighbours? Yes, it definitely was.

Please explain to me how selling tech to the Soviets was a sign of respect? It was good BUSINESS SENSE but hardly a sign of respect

Sidekick: Again, you're making a lot of assumptions.

No, not assumptions, fact

Sidekick: Yes, easily. Recently authorities of Tsushima prefecture has officially invited President Putin to arrive and join a memory service on Tsushima island, dedicated to fallen soldiers of Russia and Japan. Isn't it a sign of respect? Yes, it is. Further, in 2012 a Governor of Akita prefecture, Norihisa Satake made a gift to Vladimir Putin by giving him a puppy of dog. A pure Japanese bride, by the way. Was it a sign of respect? Yes, it was. As for you, you seem to have no any idea what a respect is. Of course you can't

That was two governors, not the Japanese government. It's like the former Governor of New Mexico going to North Korea. Two governors kissing Putin's rear end got Japan WHAT exactly? NOTHING, NOT ONE DAM THING. The mayor of my town went to Buenos Aries and was all pally with President Kirchner but that did not resolve the dispute over the Falklands/Malvinas, the governors of Tsushima and Akita prefecture is just the same; a lot of butt kissing with NO visible results.

Sidekick: Bud, for a representative of a country whose leaders had dropped atomic bombs on innocent civilians in Japanese cities instead of military target, you opened your mouth too wide, sounding too hysterical and loudly. Please, tone it down! Russo-Japanese relations aren't belong to your business, whether you like it or not.

Who ever said I was American? And for your information my Japanese friend, I do know what respect it and I know that it is EARNED and not GIVEN.....

sfjp330: Do you know the total land space of Shikotan and Habomai? Two islands is misleading since these islands covers only 8 percent of the total land that Russians took. If Russia keeps other two islands that accounts for 92 percent of the land, you would call it "honor and dignity"?

Yes, I knew that Shikotan and Habomai cover 8 percent of the islands in question, and what i meant by "honour and dignity" was that Putin should offer the return of these two islands without conditions

YuriOtani: He sure is a clever fellow, wish our leaders could get some of his smarts. It is clear that apple polishing for America is not in the best interests of Japan. Perhaps we should drop the sanctions and stop making the Russians mad

Sanctions against Russia or no sanctions against Russia, you have to be deluded if you think that Putin has any intentions of solving this dispute. Kissing Moscow's rear end will get Japan nothing except a rash

sfjp330: Russia does not have to as long as they export what Japan needs the most, which is oil and natural gas. Both Japan and China are net energy importers while Russia is one of the world’s largest energy exporters. Japan's strategic relationship with Russia would also send a message to China. Both countries maintain robust trading relationships with China and do not want confrontation, but they also do not want a Sino-centric continent. As China continues to emerge, Japan will need to seek new strategic relationships in the region. Russia and Japan are strengthening energy cooperation through joint development of a pipeline in Eastern Siberia that would bring Russian gas to the Japanese market. They also have agreed to continue development of energy projects on the Russian island of Sakhalin. There are many other significant common interests between the two countries. Of course, the Kurile Island dispute will continue to be the center of the problem. Until this issue is resolved, and the WWII peace agreement is reached, the trade between two countries will move at a stagnent pace.

And as long as the dispute continues, Russia should shut the hell up about Japan investing in the islands

Sidekick: Once again, the fact that you aren't either Japanese or Russian makes your assumptions about Russo-Japanese relations plain wrong. Japan helped a lot the USSR to build a vitally important infrastructure in Russian Far East, Sibaeria and Western regions. The COCOM act restricted Japan to sell a heavy machinery or steel pipes of large diameter to the USSR but anyway, Japanese did it. How would they sell eight milling computer-controlled machines to Russians without respect during Cold War times?

Selling tech to the Soviets is beside the point, Russia has not done a SINGLE thing to earn one IOTA of respect from Japan. Can you PROVE that Russia earned respect from Japan? Of course you can't because those island stealing barbarians in Moscow have not and NEVER WILL do anything to earn respect from Japan. The sooner you understand this, the better.

stormcrow: As noted by others here, Putin has no intention of returning the northern islands. Putin's just stringing the Japanese along to try and get something out of it which benefits the Russians. It's a good thing MacArthur told the Russians to back off when they demanded Hokkaido at the end of WWII.

Exactly.....

Nathaw: How could I? Putin is someone who can be predictable as stand alone Eagle. He is not backstabbing from behind with narrow Geo political agenda. He is the man of honor and dignity.

How can he be a man of "honor and dignity" when he says that Russia will give Japan no territory while saying the Russian-abrogated 1956 deal is still valid?` If he had any "honor and dignity" then he would offer the return of two of the islands without any preconditions such as abrogating the Security Alliance with the US.

Nathaw: Japaneses needed to be wise enough for not falling the trap again. Otherwise NT dream will be ruined again as 1956.

It is already ruined as Putin has no intention of ever returning Shikotan and Habomai to Japan.

Nathaw: How could I? Putin is someone who can be predictable as stand alone Eagle. He is not backstabbing from behind with narrow Geo political agenda. He is the man of honor and dignity.

How can he be a man of "honor and dignity" when he says that Russia will give Japan no territory while saying the Russian-abrogated 1956 deal is still valid?` If he had any "honor and dignity" then he would offer the return of two of the islands without any preconditions such as abrogating the Security Alliance with the US.

Nathaw: Japaneses needed to be wise enough for not falling the trap again. Otherwise NT dream will be ruined again as 1956.

It is already ruined as Putin has no intention of ever returning Shikotan and Habomai to Japan.

Sidekick: LOL. Are you a Japanese person to judge? No? Would you please tone it down then? At least, Soviets weren't that brutal creatures to bomb innocent women and children in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

My point is still valid, Russia had done NOTHING to earn one IOTA of respect from Japan. Offering "talks" on he islands is just offering Japan false hope that it will be able to regain any of them.

Kungaa Mergen: Lavrov, minister of foreign afairs of Russia, offered that Russia could talk with Japan about territorial dispute relying on previous agreements. Translation from diplomatical language to normal: we offer to you start talks and solve issue by depending on Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration. That time Japan ignored propose of Russia. Russia always suggested, but japanese diplomats behaved as a selfish childs and offered 0 suggestions of solving problem except "give back all islands". U.S. maybe can give back all occupied islands, but Russia/USSR is not U.S. Why Russia even should give back island to aggressive country (Japan has territorial dusputes with all 4 country in East Asia, Russia has territorial disputes only with Japan)?

Is there any PROOF of this? Russia has said similar things in the past but always found a way to back out of it. And the last time any such offer was made, it was RUSSIA that abrogated the treaty, not Japan. Besides, how can they base negotiations on the 1956 treaty when Putin said that Russia will now give Japan back no territory? And Japan is not aggressive, yes they have territorial disputes with others in East Asia, but they are not aggressive, unlike the USSR/Russian Federation.

smithinjapan: Wow, talk about undermining your credibility (forgetting you refer to Europe as Obama's "servants"). You have some issues, bud. Sadly for you, though, and the few wingers on your side, the issue of the islands won't be solved until there is actually a two-way street in terms of negotiations. Japan needs to stop asking for exceptions around the world when demanding their way, but more importantly they need to realize that these islands are Russian, and they'll be lucky to catch a whiff.

First of all, what the blue blazes could Japan offer Russia that would get Russia to return any of the islands? Last time they so graciously offered to return two of them, it was dependant on Japan abrogating the Security Alliance with the US. And second, if the islands are Russian and as you say "they'll be lucky to catch a whiff." I ask you what the BLOODY hell is there to talk about? This is just Moscow carrot-&-sticking Japan over he islands while not making any concrete guarantees that they will actually return any of them.

Nathaw: Putin is a man of steel who keep his words as concrete. I have no doubt that Japan will get back some of long lost islands.

What a load of rot you do talk. Russia has just stolen Crimea from Ukraine and is in the process of stealing more territory from it in the east, do you really think Putin will suddenly turn around and return any of those islands to Japan?

Sidekick: You must, at least, to show respect to your neighbour in international relations. China did it. As as result, in 2008 chinese got an island located in Amur river. Japanese leadership behaves like a cheap hooker, jumping from one side of street to another. Abe had joined Putin in opening ceremony at Sochi Olympics but later followed the US political course in imposing of anti-Russian sanctions. As Americans like to repeat : 'You are either with us or against us'. That is why Putin said his words. Stay as US boneless loyal servants or establish much more friendly relations with Russia. Russians will never give any islands to hostile side.

You want to talk about respect? What about the saying "Respect is earned, not given"? Moscow has done nothing to earn respect from Japan. And as for this deal in the Amur river, China got territory from Moscow and settling THAT dispute was to get relation between Moscow and Beijing sorted so they could get on with the gas and oil deals. And speaking of hostile sides, Russia has also been hostile to Japan in regards to this dispute with the repeated border violations and publicly backing Beijing it it's dispute with Japan over the Senkaku Islands

Kungaa Mergen: What makes you say that? Japan almost agreed to the return of just the two lower islands once before. The deal was wrecked by the U.S. suggesting that a return of Okinawa may not be in the cards if Japan went ahead with it. Today, it's up in the air what the U.S. position would be. While Russia is certainly more of an adversary than an ally by any stretch of the imagination,. it isn't the middle of the Cold War either.

Russia offered to return back 2 islands in 2004 and always says that Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration (first time, when USSR/Russia offered to give back 2 islands) will be best option. From 2008-2012 there wasn't negotiations, because president Medvedev didn't wanna give back islands. Japanese had a chance to get back 2 islands from 2000- to 2008 and from 2012 to nowadays, but they prefer to negotiating with 0 results than agree with offer of Putin and Russian MOFA.

What a lot of rot you do talk, Russia did not and had no intention of returning any of the STOLEN islands back toJapan in 2004, now or ever