This summer we commemorated the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released a 70th anniversary statement, in which he mentioned Japan's remorse and apology for its aggression and colonial rule in Asia and the Pacific in the 1930s and 1940s.
His intention was to end all foreign criticism of the war and of the wartime atrocities of its military. However, he did not mention one consequence of the war — the unresolved issue of the ownership of four islands that have been occupied by Russia for the past 70 years.
Abe is quietly preparing for the final resolution of the prolonged dispute over the sovereignty of these islands, which both Japan and Russia claim. One hindrance Abe must overcome is the negative attitude of the United States.