Kunashiri

National Oct 16, 2020

Russia’s top prosecutor visits islands claimed by Japan

The visit, the first by a Russian government official since Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took office, is expected to draw backlash from Tokyo.

National Aug 5, 2020

Russian minister visits disputed island off Japan's Hokkaido

Russian emergencies minister Yevgeny Zinichev on Wednesday visited an island claimed by Japan off Hokkaido that is at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute between the two countries. It is the first visit to one of the four disputed islands by a senior Russian ...

National Jan 21, 2020

Russia releases Japanese fishing boat seized in waters off disputed islands

Russia has released a Japanese fishing boat seized last week in waters off islands claimed by Japan after confirming that a fine had been paid. The boat returned to Nemuro in Hokkaido on Monday evening from Kunashiri, one of the disputed islands called the Northern ...

National Dec 24, 2019

Russia releases five Japanese fishing boats seized off Hokkaido

Russia on Tuesday released five Japanese fishing boats seized in waters near Russian-held, Japan-claimed islands in mid-December. The release came after the crews of the boats paid a fine of some 6.4 million rubles (¥11 million) ordered by a Russian court Monday for violating regulations ...

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 5, 2019

Japan protests Russia's plans for live-fire military drills off disputed Kunashiri island

Plans by the Russian military to hold live-fire exercises off the disputed Northern Territories prompted a rebuke by Tokyo late last week, the chief government spokesman said Monday. The drills are planned for waters around Kunashiri, a land mass that is clearly visible from the ...

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 ...