Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Japan on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aimed at improving ties, but both sides have scaled back expectations of major progress towards a peace treaty formally ending World War Two.
Blocking the treaty is a territorial row involving four islands off Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido that were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War Two.
Following are some key facts about the islands.
History
The islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, are called Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan and the Habomai group of islets in Japanese. They are known in Russian as Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan and Habomai.
The islands were home to about 17,000 Japanese people, who fished, bred horses and mined gold, among other occupations, before they were seized by the Soviet Union after it declared war on Japan in the closing days of World War Two. The inhabitants were forced to flee.
The current population is 12,346, according to the Russian government.
Geography, Resources
The disputed islands form the southern end of the Kurile Island chain that stretches for 1,250 km (780 miles) from the southern tip of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido, dividing the Sea of Okhotsk to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
Their total land area is almost 5,000 square km (2,000 square miles), according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry – a little smaller than the U.S. state of Delaware and less than half the size of Lebanon. On clear days, Kunashiri is visible from Hokkaido.
Most inhabitants depend on fishing for their livelihoods and Japan would gain rich fishing grounds if it regained full control of the islands, partly through extending its exclusive economic zone.
The islands are close to oil- and gas-producing regions of Russia, and may themselves harbor rich mineral deposits, a tempting possibility for resource-poor Japan. But upgrading the island infrastructure to match that of the rest of Japan would be expensive.
Russian Military
In 2011, as many as 3,500 Russian troops belonging to the 18th Machine Gun-Artillery Division were deployed on the islands, said a top official in the Russian General Staff, quoted by Russian news agency Interfax.
The unit is reinforced with self-propelled artillery, anti-aircraft systems, rocket artillery and seven dozen tanks, the Russian Defense Ministry broadcaster Zvezda said.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in March Russia would study the possibility of building a naval base in the islands, prompting protests from Japan.
In November, Russian media reported that Bastion and Bal anti-ship missile systems were in operation on the islands. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called that development “regrettable”.
You are soooo Wong that is isn’t right! Were it Chinese territory, the Chinese would never shut up about it.
You obviously do noy understand the geopolitical ramifications of the U.S. pulling out of Japan. Japan is the tip of the spear for any conflict in Asia. We need them as much as they need us. They also pay for a large percentage of keeping what we have in Japan.
Dear Mr. Palmer:
Your comment is very difficult to understand. We demand Russia to return our four island no matter who will be the president of USA. Your comment might suggest Russia is planing to invade or occupy Japan. Is that true?
誠介太田
Japan`s Dillusions of Grandeur are going to come to a end once Trump taxes the hell out of them and we pull our troops out of there. Then lets see what happens. Japanese men will be hiding under their bed like little boys when China comes.
Let Japan take care of themselves. Hope Trump pulls our guys out of there and taxes the hell out of Japanese products entering the U.S.
TRUMP!
Matthew Seligman actually, Russia entered the war against Japan AFTER Hiroshima. It’s an important distinction.
says the chinese man… lol y u hatin breh
ya everybody LOOSES lol lrn2spell
Joe, typical chinese propaganda BS.
Mark Bartlett Check your spelling.
at least this was japan that colonized countries and they ofcourse did nothing in the colonized countries. don’t blind yourselves. Criminals are all clear and WWII beginners are all known.
You teach these English words to your students? "Boys, remember the ultimate insult to another boy is to call him a female body part. It is like calling him a girl, but way worse. Test on Friday"
Mark Bartlett AND donʻt forget the tyrannical
U.S.
What was loose? I’m fairly certain most soldiers wore belts.
Oh, me so sowwy, Chairman Mao. Hail dear leader of #1 best China.
Devon Braithwaite I believe he posted on another article about Taiwan all being Japanese wannabes. As a guy from America traveling through all parts of Asia, I can say clearly this is not true. Propaganda for sure. And as for Japan being war criminals, I do believe they did commit past crimes but it’s in the past. It’s not like we can punish them by going to their country and raping and murdering everyone, it would only make us war criminals. War is a terrible thing, and we should move forward in preserving peace, not punishing mistakes. With the invention of nuclear weapons, everyone treads more carefully now as they should.
Devon Braithwaite While I find the above post over the top, during the last few years being here in China frequently I do find there is still a large amount of anomosity towards the Japanese treatment of a vast number of Chinese and after spending a huge amount of time in Japan I despare sometimes the denial Japanese leaders have in facing up to the past. Germany did it Japan never really did. And before you say it China is no angel either -(( nor the majority of western nations.
The facts that the true barbarian are those people who never realize the true meaning of life and until this day of new generation cannot moved on and learned the lesson of past circumstances they will never grow because of a narrow minded that can not open even their hearts to forget the unbelievable reason as we know that no body is perfect, so forgive all those things in your hearts and be civilized, after all in the eyes of God we are all human.peace
So how much money did China give you to write this trash comment? 😉
Russia would gain an important friend and an economic boost if it normalize relations with Japan.