National Jun 26, 2020
Russian authorities notified Japan on June 17 of a plan to conduct the survey in the Sea of Okhotsk between June 18 and Sept. 18.
National / Politics Jun 20, 2020
Abe to skip 75th anniversary parade in Moscow marking Nazis' WWII defeat
The trip was scratched by the coronavirus, and a forum where the two leaders were to discuss the disputed Russian-held isles off Hokkaido has also been canceled.
National / Politics May 24, 2020
Russia proposes shelving jurisdiction issue in isle talks with Japan
Russia has proposed that the stalemated issue of legal jurisdiction over joint economic activities with Japan on disputed islands be shelved, sources close to the two countries' relations said Saturday. While the proposal is Moscow's compromise in talks on promotion of joint activities as a ...
National May 19, 2020
Japan renews claim on Russian-held isles in foreign policy report
The issue has prevented the two countries from signing a World War II peace treaty even 75 years after the end of the conflict.
National Apr 3, 2020
Japan-Russia visa-free program to be put off amid coronavirus scare
The start of this year's visa-free exchange program between Japan and Russia is set to be postponed amid the coronavirus crisis, Japanese government sources said Thursday. The Russian side is concerned that the new coronavirus could be brought to Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands covered by ...
National Apr 2, 2020
Abe considers calling off Russia visit in May due to coronavirus
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering giving up a plan to visit Russia to attend a ceremony on May 9 to mark the 75th anniversary of the former Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Jiji Press learned Wednesday. Abe may skip ...
National / Politics Feb 17, 2020
Japan's Motegi meets Russia's Lavrov and offers steps to solve island row
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has proposed "concrete steps" to Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to resolve a long-standing territorial dispute, the minister has said. Motegi did not say what the steps were, but told reporters he invited Lavrov to visit Japan soon to continue negotiations aimed ...
National / Politics Feb 7, 2020
Abe vows at disputed-isles rally to push talks on signing peace treaty with Russia
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to visit Moscow in May to attend a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of Russia's victory over Germany in World War II and to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin, a Japanese government source said Friday. Japan and Russia ...
National / Politics Jan 29, 2020
Russia slams Japan's National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday criticized exhibits displayed at Japan's National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty, which reopened last week. Summoning a representative from the Japanese Embassy in Moscow, Russia conveyed the criticism about the exhibition of items related to four Russian-held islands off ...
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 / Politics Dec 25, 2019
Gorbachev agreed to address islands dispute in 1988 with Nakasone: declassified records
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev acknowledged the need to resolve the dispute with Japan over the sovereignty of a group of islands off Hokkaido in a 1988 meeting, diplomatic records declassified Wednesday show. Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone elicited the response from Gorbachev when he ...
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 ...