Former residents of the four Japan-claimed islands that were seized by Russia at the end of World War II may soon fly to two of them on June 18, as plans are now being finalized, according to multiple reports quoting government sources on Friday. That would mark the first time they have been allowed return to the isles by plane.
About 70 former residents of Kunashiri and Etorofu are likely to board a Russian aircraft chartered by the Japanese government, at Hokkaido's Nakashibetsu-Nemuro airport for a one-day trip to visit their ancestral graves. The plane will land in Kunashiri and then fly on to Etorofu before returning to Kunashiri and heading back to Hokkaido later the same day, the sources said.
Kunashiri lies within sight of eastern Hokkaido, and Etorofu lies to its northeast.