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Japanese boat leaves for Etorofu on visa-free exchange with Russia

Saturday 23rd May, 05:13 AM JST

KUSHIRO —

A group of former Japanese residents and descendants of residents of some disputed Russian-administered islands sailed from a northern port Friday under a bilateral visa-free exchange program. In this year’s first Japanese contingent of visitors to the disputed territories, the 61-member group departed Hokkaido’s Nemuro port for Etorofu Island on a chartered boat as they began a four-day trip under the 18-year program.

The program had earlier faced rough going with an eruption in January of a dispute over Russian demands that Japanese government officials on a humanitarian mission submit disembarkation cards before arriving on Kunashiri Island, one of the four disputed islands off Hokkaido. Tokyo rejected the demand and the row dragged on until Moscow agreed to allow Japanese visitors to disputed islands without submitting such cards.

© 2009 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

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