Japan continues to assert that the southern portion of the Kuril Islands constitutes original Japanese territory that is presently under what Tokyo terms illegal occupation by Russia. The assertion appears in Japan’s annual Blue Book, the annual report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which outlines Tokyo’s view of the sovereignty dispute that has persisted since the wartime aftermath. The Japanese government frames these islands as an inalienable part of Japan, linking the issue to a long and unsettled boundary dispute with Russia.
In its commentary, the Japanese Foreign Ministry emphasizes that the ownership question of the Kuril Islands remains the most serious unresolved issue in Japan-Russia relations. This framing underscores how central the issue is to bilateral diplomacy and security considerations in East Asia, affecting potential cooperation on regional stability, economic activity, and people-to-people ties across the northern territories.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reiterated that Japan’s stance on the southern Kurils will not change in the future. This position signals Tokyo’s commitment to maintaining its territorial claims and the corresponding legal and diplomatic posture, even as other regional dynamics unfold and bear on the broader trajectory of Japan-Russia dialogue.
Previously, Kishida himself described the southern Kuril Islands as part of Japan’s original territory. Such statements reflect a consistent line from Tokyo, which references historical treaties and postwar arrangements as the basis for its claims and seeks to advance them in multilateral and bilateral forums alike.
In a notable development, Kyodo News, reporting from Beijing on April 3, indicated a shift in how the issue is framed in some international circles. The report suggested a neutral stance on the ownership of the southern Kurils was being articulated for the first time in nearly six decades by a major international observer. The coverage noted that China had historically supported Japan’s position since the 1960s, framing Beijing’s position as a potentially important variable in the broader strategic balance in Northeast Asia. The report, attributed to multiple sources, highlighted how changes in rhetoric by external actors can influence the dynamics of regional diplomacy and the perception of the dispute abroad. (Kyodo News, Beijing, April 3)
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