Dispute Over Kuril Islands Between Russia and Japan Escalates Amid Victory Day Controversy

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Diplomatic tensions between Japan and Russia are intensifying after the Russian government announced that it would postpone the Victory Day commemorating the end of World War II, originally scheduled for the 9th of this month, to September 3 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Japanese government is protesting, claiming that Russia's change of the Victory Day date is a means to strengthen its sovereignty over the Kuril Islands, a disputed territory between the two countries, rather than a response to COVID-19 issues. Consequently, concerns are rising that the sovereignty dispute over the Kuril Islands, which has lasted for 150 years, will escalate further.

According to Japanese local media such as the Asahi Shimbun, the Japanese government recently conveyed that if Russia changes this year's Victory Day event to September 3, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would be unable to attend. Russia's original Victory Day is May 9, commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 during World War II.

However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak making it difficult to hold the event on May 9, the Russian government announced it would move the date to September 3. September 3 marks the day in 1945 when Japan was defeated in the Pacific War, known in Russia as the Victory over Japan Day. It is also the day when the former Soviet Union occupied the four Kuril Islands under Japanese control, which it has effectively governed to this day. The Japanese government strongly opposes Russia's date change, viewing it as tantamount to demanding recognition that the four Kuril Islands are entirely Russian territory. A Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "It could be seen as justifying Russia's occupation of the Northern Territories (the four Kuril Islands), so it is unacceptable."

On February 7th of this year, designated as the so-called "Northern Territories Day" in Japan, the Northern Territories Day Executive Committee, composed of the Japanese Cabinet Office and related organizations, held a nationwide rally demanding the return of the Northern Territories. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Kuril Islands dispute between the two countries began in the 1850s and has continued for over 150 years. The disputed area consists of four islands?Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan, and Habomai?located on the Japanese side of the Kuril Islands, commonly referred to in Japan as the Northern Territories. According to the Treaty of Commerce, Navigation and Delimitation signed between Russia and Japan in 1855, when Japan first opened its ports, these four Kuril Islands became Japanese territory, while Sakhalin Island was designated as a joint residence area for both countries.

However, in 1875, Japan signed the Treaty of Saint Petersburg, exchanging its claim to the entire Sakhalin Island in return for sovereignty over the entire Kuril Islands. Later, after Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the southern part of Sakhalin Island below the 50th parallel north was recognized as Japanese territory. Japan retained the southern Sakhalin region until just before its defeat in the Pacific War in 1945, when the Soviet Union occupied the entire Kuril Islands on August 18, 1945, reversing the situation.

Subsequently, after the peace treaty between the Soviet Union and Japan in 1956, it was agreed that Habomai and Shikotan would be returned to Japan, and preparations for the return were underway. However, in 1960, Japan signed the US-Japan Security Treaty with the United States, provoking strong Soviet opposition, and the promise of return was completely canceled. Since then, current Japanese Prime Minister Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been criticized for politically exploiting the Kuril Islands issue to rally their respective right-wing factions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.