Japanese-Russo Dispute Over Islands
05/11/2008 @ 6:00 am
In a Reuters article a few weeks back, I got a history lesson on four disputed islands north of Hokkaido. The article discusses these sparsely populated islands and their history. A few tidbits:
- 17,000 Japanese fled or were forced from the islands after the invasion in August, 1945 — just after Russia declared war on Japan and just a week before Japan surrendered.
- About 7,900 Japanese who once lived on the islands are alive today and their average age is 75.
- About 16,000 Russians live there now.
Many Japanese believe Japan’s surrender was not because of two atomic bombs but Russia declared war on Japan and invaded Kuril islands. If the war continued for another months Hokkaido would have been occupied by Russia, and Kyushu by the US.
Anyway, dispute is about military base and natural resources from Russia side. And Japan wants mainly fishery right.
I don’t think those 16,000 Russians are against that former Japanese habitants visit or even live in the islands.
May 11th, 2008 at 4:54 pmI went to the Snow Festival in Sapporo a few years back and there was a booth there asking for signatures supporting the return of the islands to Japan. They even let foreigners sign.
Japan should have tried harder to get them back right after the fall of the Soviet Union and under Yeltsin. There’s no chance that Putin’s Russia with its emphasis on nationalism will give them back.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:19 am