Once again we have seen Japan stomping its feet and acting like a spoiled child over the four islands it claims off Hokkaido. The last time I looked, the islands had been occupied, governed and administered by Russia/Soviet Union for well over six decades. Japan has no business telling a Russian president where he may not visit in his own country.
If the ownership of the "Northern Territories" is disputed, then Japan had better recognize China's claim to the Senkaku Islands. Japan got off lucky after the war. The country wasn't partitioned as Germany was. The United States could have kept Okinawa and a multitude of small islands in the Pacific, but returned them. Yet, the Japanese government still whinges over its "inherent territory," which it never seemed to care about until the 1800s.
The Japanese government cannot seriously believe that Russia will just hand over its land and that the residents will merrily relocate. Japan lost the war, retained its homeland and became an economic powerhouse.
What more does it expect?