Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup Island (known in Japan as Etorofu) on August 13. It’s the largest of the disputed Southern Kurils, which are known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The islands have been occupied by Russia since the end of World War II but are also claimed by Japan.
The Kuril Islands have been a constant thorn in Japan-Russia relations. The disputed islands are one of the reasons that Japan and Russia have yet to sign a peace treaty concluding World War II.
Japan has long sought to foster economic cooperation with Russia as part of a broader push to normalize relations – and finally resolve the dispute. The Kuril Islands/Northern Territories issue was especially close to the heart of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, given its importance to his father, Abe Shintaro, during the elder Abe’s tenure as Japan’s foreign minister.
However, the circumstances for Japan-Russia rapprochement are unfavorable. Since 2022, Japan has joined the United States and European states in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. After Japan imposed sanctions, Russia formally suspended peace treaty negotiations and canceled visa-free travel for Japanese nationals to visit ancestral graves on the disputed islands.
