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Northern Territories Day

29 Comments

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, front right, delivers a speech in Tokyo on Saturday during a national rally to demand the return of Russian-held four islands off Hokkaido. Japan has designated Feb 7 as Northern Territories Day. The banner reads "Return the Four Northern Islands."

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When will Abe have a national rally to demand the return of Okinawa. Oh right, he doesn't want to return that island.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, front right,

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, far right.

The vans are particularly deafening today. Thanks, Shin-chan!

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Good one Sense!

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"The vans are particularly deafening today."

Do you actually live within earshot?

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The Kuriles belong to Russia, plain and simple. Russia has made attempts to negotiate the return of some of the islands but Japanese wingers were unwilling to listen, so they still have ZERO, and that's all thanks to themselves. Russia has administered and lived on them for some time now. The reaction from Russia towards this, if any, should be that of the Japanese government's reaction if China demanded the Senkakus back.

-2 ( +12 / -14 )

@smith totally agree, those Islands belong to Russia as much as the Senkakus belong to Japan. and they certainly wont be returned to Japan unless there is something substantial in it for them. Biggest mistake Russia ever made was selling Alaska to the Americans for basically peanuts. dont thing they make the same mistake on the Kuriles

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

The Kuriles belong to Russia, plain and simple.

Looks as if someone is shooting his own foot again. The Treaty of Shimoda(1855) specifies the boundary between Japan and Russia which is the basis of all treaties forward. So the Treaty of Saint Petersburg(1975)stipulated that Japan give up all claims to Sakhalin island in exchange for undisputed sovereignty over all the Kuril islands up to the Kamchatka peninsula with the border between Japan and Russia to be the strait between Iturup (Etorofu) and Urup (Uruppu) islands.

The San Francisco treaty based on Potdam Declaration enforces the treaty of Shimoda in which no territories will be gained as spoil of war so the four northern territories are Japanese sovereign territory presently unlawfully occupied by Russia.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

"When will Abe have a national rally to demand the return of Okinawa. Oh right, he doesn't want to return that island."

Read a history book. Okinawa, minus the U.S.bases ( next time don't bomb Pearl Harbor ) was returned to Japan in 1972, and, besides, Japan stole this islands from the noe dufunct Ryukyu Kingdom way before that.

"The Kuriles belong to Russia, plain and simple"

Might makes right, right, smith? And look at a map. Russian islands? Really?

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Isn't that February 29?

No, that's Northern Territory Day, the anniversary of the unprovoked bombing of Darwin in 1942.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darwin

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Correction, February 19.

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SamuraiBlue: What was that about shooting oneself in the foot again? The SanFrancisco Treaty, drafted by the US and strongly opposed by the Soviet Union, who did not sign an end to the war and start of diplomatic relations until 1956, means the islands are somehow Japanese?

Serrano: "Might makes right, right, smith? And look at a map. Russian islands? Really?"

Did you seriously ask that after JUST saying, "...and, besides, Japan stole this islands from the noe dufunct Ryukyu Kingdom way before that" and after saying to someone "next time don't bomb Pearl Harbor" in response to their comment hinting that the US presence vacate?

Might does not make right, but should the US and Canada give back all lands to the Native North Americans? As with the Ryukyus, which Japan took by force, once the lands have been lived on and administered by a nation for a long period of time, they cease more and more to be the property of the former nation's and more the property of the present. If Japan plays its cards right perhaps in the future they MAY get one or two islands back in exchange for deals with Russia -- but the wingers won't allow that to happen. So, they'll get none.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

warispeace, return to who?

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Like Takeshima, the four northern territorial islands were taken by might which goes against the ideals of Potsdam declaration. On the other hand Senkaku was never occupied through power and was enlisted as Japanese sovereign territory in 1895.

Nice try Smithy.

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Well the islands are no longer a part of Japan, just the way Japan says that the Senkaku islands is no longer Chinas island! Well Japan knew by entering the Axis in WW2 that they would have to suffer if they lost the war. Japan lost the war and the Soviet took The Kuril and The Shakalin islands as a war gift from Japan. Japan cant come now and say that they have the most rights to the islands after the loss in WW2, the islands have becomed russian so Japan should stick to the WW2 agreement! Japan have no rights to claim the Kuril island unless they remove their claim on other Chinese islands as well. Japan took a win-loss chance in WW2 and lost. And therefore lost their islands.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

The real pathetic aspect is how much Abe goes out of his way not to upset Putin too much in some hope, pressed by the right wing, that maybe, just maybe, Putin might be nice to Abe. Get a grip, Shinzo. This guy seized back Crimea and may be detaching parts of Ukraine to incorporate into Russia. Putin is not going to give Japan anything unless Japan gives up something really big.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Kasper123

Auggh, the Soviets acknowledged that there was an disputed basically admitting that they were occupying illegally against ideals of Potsdam declaration while Senkaku was acknowledge as sovereign territory of Japan by SF peace treaty based on Potsdam declaration. Big difference.

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I like Japanese have ever been claiming the northern islands very peacefully as they think these islands belong to Japan. However most Japanese think Russia would never return them to Japan.

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warispeaceFeb. 07, 2015 - 03:19PM JST When will Abe have a national rally to demand the return of Okinawa. Oh right, he doesn't want to return that island.

The far left continues to live in the 60's.....Wake up man, the year is 2015......

Am always stunned by the hate of the far left......

smithinjapanFeb. 07, 2015 - 04:28PM JST The Kuriles belong to Russia

Smith we all know how you feel about Japan and it's people....But, if you would try and have peace in your heart for the Japan and it's people then I think that peace would be around you!

Hate is an awful place to be living in......

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Yes, the so-called Northern Territories were taken by force. They would have not been had not Japan launched its wars of aggression in Asia. Japan lost in the imperialist game. Get over it. Its like a gambler trying to get his money back in Las Vegas. Also considering the absolute evil Japan committed in its war of aggression--Unit 731 comes to mind--demanding anything back lost in those wars is obscene. Northern Territories Day ought to be called We Have No Morals Day.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

@Burning Bush A shameless excuse to justify a Russkie land grab. Typical behavior.

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Kasper123Feb. 07, 2015 - 09:46PM JST Well the islands are no longer a part of Japan, Japan cant come now and say that they have the most rights to the islands after the loss in WW2, the islands have becomed russian so Japan should stick to the WW2 agreement! Japan have no rights to claim the Kuril island

Then why did Russia proposed returning the two islands closest to Japan in 1956? Japan rejected the proposal, saying they wanted all the four islands back. Since then, the dispute has remained unresolved.

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Maybe if Japan puts cash on the table they could come to an agreement. I hear Russia needs cash.

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@sashimigaijin

Return them to the people of Okinawa. My point is just to show the inconsistency of Abe's argument.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

"Maybe if Japan puts cash on the table they could come to an agreement. I hear Russia needs cash"

The Japanese government is out of cash after handing over $200 million to countries fighting ISIS, and billions of dollars to various countries, including China, before that.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Serrano: The Japanese government is out of cash after handing over $200 million to countries fighting ISIS, and billions of dollars to various countries, including China, before that.

The government's just crying poor, there's plenty of middle-class slobs to milk, just gotta squeeze 'em a little harder.

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http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1f3_1423194344 Kuril islands dispute between Japan and Russia

The territorial dispute between Japan and Russia is acute since the end of World War II. After the war, all the Kurile Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union, but the ownership of islands Etorofu, Shikotan and Habomai group of islands disputed by Japan, which considers them occupied in a form which has no legal basis. Russia claims that its sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands is absolutely legal and there is no doubt and debate, and states that do not recognize the very existence of a territorial dispute with Japan. Kuril Islands dispute is a major obstacle to the full settlement of the Russian-Japanese relations and the signing of a peace treaty. The dispute over the South Kuril Islands is rooted in the XVII century, when neither the Russian nor the Japanese in the Kurile Islands was not.

Famous Russian professor, journalist Igor Latvians in his book "Japan, the Japanese and Japanologists" notes "in Berkeley (USA), accompanied by leading bibliographer I visited the store ancient Japanese maps exported from Japan as trophies during the American occupation. With great interest I looked folder with maps of the northern regions of Japan, compiled in the XVII -XVIII centuries. At the same time I was, of course, interested in the question, which was held on these maps state border Japan. And there I was convinced that the boundary of this took place at some maps between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, on the other - between the northern and southern parts of Hokkaido, the third - on the northern coast of Hokkaido. Neither one of them into Japan were not included in any of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands or marked on maps as fuzzy silhouettes under the title "gaykoku" (foreign territory), with the caveat that this territory to colonize other people - the Ainu. "

In modern Japanese literature are only semi-official historical studies and maps of the past, which somehow Kurils designated as ownership Japan. However, Japanese historians of the past gave Russia an indisputable priority in the discovery and development of the island and pointed out that until the mid-XIX century Japan did not consider their possessions not only the Kurils and Sakhalin, which was considered there peninsula, while the Russian side, he had already been studied in detail but even the island of Hokkaido, who was then still occupied. But at the end of the XIX century. Japan seeks to oust the Kuril Islands Russian settlers, destroy their posts, there evict indigenous people - the Ainu, who until the Russian pioneers of Japanese have not seen and no one is paying tribute.

To date, the only valid and legally binding international legal instruments, which should be the basis of the current approach to the problem of the Kuril chain, this decision powers in Yalta, Potsdam and San Fpantsissky peace treaty with Japan, signed in 1951 by 51 states led by the United States. In accordance with the decisions of the Yalta Conference, the Kurile Islands and Sakhalin Island "forever" returned to the Soviet Union. It also confirmed the Potsdam Declaration US, UK and China, to which later joined the USSR.

The text drawn up even without the Soviet Union, said that "after a full and unconditional surrender of Japan's sovereignty will be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine." The last words illustrate the legal consequences of the principle of full and unconditional surrender - the loss of Japan and the international legal right to discuss peace terms. Based on these documents the US military administration in Japan sent a directive N677 of 29 January 1946. indicating that from under Japanese jurisdiction excludes all the Kuril Islands, including Shikotan and Habomai.

The principle of the inviolability of the results of the Second World War should be the basis for a new stage of Russian-Japanese relations, and the term "return" forever forgotten. In destructive euphoria of "perestroika" Russian diplomats inadvertently gave rise to the Japanese government hoped to revise the results of World War II, and although today Tokyo exhibits subtle diplomatic flair, these hopes remain. An assignment of the Kuril Islands in addition to the impact on the strategic positions of Russia in the Pacific would be extraordinary precedent for the resumption of territorial disputes around the world.

Satisfaction Japanese claims to "return" the islands would mean undermining the very principle of the inviolability of the results of the Second World War.

Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1f3_1423194344#3wgJMU5dMSURppCD.99

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