National / Politics Aug 12, 2021
Japan's foreign minister protests against Russian visit to disputed island
Toshimitsu Motegi voiced his concerns over Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's visit to Etorofu in July.
National Jul 26, 2021
The visit to Etorofu Island by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is the first trip to the disputed isles by a prime minister since August 2019.
National May 23, 2021
Soviet Union sought end to island row in 1972 amid Japan-China thaw
Japan and the Soviet Union did not come to a compromise due to Tokyo's insistence on the return of all four islands.
National Oct 30, 2019
Japanese tourists' trial tour of Russian-held islands off Hokkaido begins
Japanese tourists on Wednesday began a visit to two disputed Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, as part of joint economic activities by the Japanese and Russian governments that are intended to build trust. The five-day trial tour by 44 people including government officials will take participants ...
National Oct 8, 2019
Japan to conduct trial tour to Russian-held isles from Wednesday
A trial sightseeing tour to two of four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido at the center of a decadeslong territorial row between Tokyo and Moscow will take place between Wednesday and Oct. 16, the Japanese government has said. Around 50 Japanese nationals will participate in the ...
National Aug 2, 2019
Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev visits disputed island off Hokkaido despite protest from Tokyo
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Friday made his first visit since 2015 to one of the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan, despite a request from Tokyo to have the trip canceled, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. Medvedev traveled ...
National Apr 11, 2019
Hokkaido Museum surveying disputed Russian-held isles in bid to save Japanese artifacts
The Hokkaido Museum in Sapporo has been surveying historical artifacts on the four Russian-held isles claimed by Japan through a bilateral arrangement that lets Japanese former residents make visa-free visits. Hiroshi Ushiro, the chief curator, used the program to make visits from 2005 through 2018 ...
National Jul 1, 2017
Economic study group wraps up first tour of disputed isles off Hokkaido
A group of government officials and private-sector experts concluded their first economic study of the four disputed islands off Hokkaido, saying possibilities had been spotted for joint activity with the Russians. "I am seeing big potential for future development," said tour leader Eiichi Hasegawa, a ...
National Jun 19, 2017
First visitation flight to disputed isles off Hokkaido canceled over poor weather
by Eric Johnston
Two days of bad weather forced the cancellation Monday of what was to have been the first chartered flight by former residents to visit Kunashiri and Etorofu, two of the four Russia-held islands off northeastern Hokkaido claimed by Japan. About 70 people, including government officials ...
National Nov 24, 2016
Moscow says missile deployment on disputed isles should not hurt Russia-Japan relations
The deployment of Russian missile systems on the Kuril Islands should not influence efforts to settle a long-running territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo over the islands, the Kremlin said. Russian media reported on Tuesday that the Bastion and Bal anti-ship missile systems were now ...
National Nov 22, 2016
Russia deploys anti-ship missiles on disputed isles off Hokkaido
The Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet deploys state-of-the-art missile systems on two disputed islands also claimed by Japan.
National / Politics Aug 25, 2015
Japan's top government spokesman on Tuesday expressed his displeasure over a high-ranking Russian official's Twitter posting in which he used a word for ritual suicide once practiced in Japan after Tokyo criticized the Russian prime minister's visit to a disputed island. "I was surprised. The ...