Japan called Putin's visit to the Kuril Islands "absolutely unacceptable"
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin—the leader of an aggressor state—to the disputed Kuril Islands “absolutely unacceptable.” According to Russian state media, this was his first trip to the archipelago. Putin visited Iturup Island, known in Japan as Etorofu.
Russian state media reported that during the trip, Putin spoke with local residents and tasted fish roe. Takaichi stated that this visit has worsened Japanese attitudes toward Russia and offends the feelings of the Japanese people. She emphasized that Japan’s position on the Northern Territories remains unchanged.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated that the islands are an integral part of Japanese territory from both a historical and international legal perspective, and that the Japanese government strongly protests this visit.
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The Kuril Islands are located between the Japanese island of Hokkaido and the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula. Japan claims the four southernmost islands of the archipelago, which it refers to as the Northern Territories. They are administered by Russia. At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union annexed the island chain and deported about 17,000 Japanese residents.
The territorial dispute is the main reason why Moscow and Tokyo have yet to sign a peace treaty following World War II. Iturup is of strategic importance to Russia: the island is home to its main military airbase in the region. Japan has previously protested visits to the disputed islands by other Russian officials, including Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev.
