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 16, 2020
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 / Politics Apr 4, 2019
Japan files protest with Russia over planned shooting practice near disputed island off Hokkaido
Japan lodged a protest over a planned Russian shooting exercise in waters near one of the four islands off Hokkaido that are at the center of a bilateral territorial dispute, the Japanese government said Thursday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference the ...
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 ...