Fukuda takes 1st step with Russia but domestic problems cloud island row

Sunday 27th April, 05:47 AM JST

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10 Comments

pathat at 09:14 AM JST - 27th April

The Japanese side confused Russia`s real intentions versus its stated ones.

Fukuda will probably not be Japans leader in six months time.

Putin will be Russia leader-in one capacity or the other-til permanently incapacitated by death.

Russia will not give up the islands til they take all of the valuable mineral resources: gold, coal, diamonds etc.

Russia will also not give up the islands because it would be a sign of weakness on their part.

Maybe many years down the road an opportune moment might present itself when the islands lack in strategic value and the mineral resources have been depleted to the extent that Russia will magnanimously return the islands to Japan. But once again, I do not believe it will happen anytime soon. It is hard to believe that it will happen on Putin`s watch-period.

Keep doing your best Japan! Someday!!! Keep dreaming and making your TV weather maps with the out-of-scale "disputed" islands. Never give up Japan!!!
smithinjapan at 01:57 PM JST - 27th April

"The row over Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group, occupied by the Russians since the final days of World War II..."

...and which were occupied by them before the Japanese took them after the Japan-Russo war....
Eitheror at 02:57 PM JST - 27th April

Actually Japan took control of them in the treat of St. Petersburg in 1875 in exchange for relenquishing any claims to Sakhalin, nice try though.
Eitheror at 02:57 PM JST - 27th April

*relinquishing
sdf_crew_member at 05:41 PM JST - 27th April

Actually Japan took control of them in the treat of St. Petersburg in 1875 in exchange for relinquishing any claims to Sakhalin, nice try though.

Not so simple :) Those territories Sakhalin included were possessed by Russia and Japan in the following order: 1855: Russia owns Kuril's islands, northern part of Sakhalin; Japan holds south; 1875: Russia ceded islands for Sakhalin; 1905: Russia lost war and south part of Sakhalin; 1945: Japan lost war. Since then Sakhalin and Kuril's islands are the part of Russia.

Well, who "rightfully" should possess those lands? Ainu may be? :)
Eitheror at 03:40 AM JST - 28th April

In a perfect world yes, but I came up with the earliest date there was no doubt who the islands belonged to.
sdf_crew_member at 04:44 AM JST - 28th April

There are so many events passed since this date, hardly it could be a strong argument.

Speaking about the real world, if Russia willingly give up the lands it controls that it would be a unique case in the modern history. Maybe entice it somehow... :)))
zaichik at 06:17 AM JST - 28th April

Kazuhiko Togo, a former ranking Japanese Foreign Ministry official and key negotiator with Moscow

(namedrop alert) I've met the former ambassador a few times at conferences and translated a paper for him for one of them. He's a very nice man. Used to be very friendly with Boris Yeltsin.
capone at 04:14 PM JST - 28th April

the japanese ain't getting those islands back, ever
usaexpat at 11:30 PM JST - 30th April

who cares about the islands the good thing out of this story is cooperation on energy projects. I don't necessarily trust Putin but I trust him more than Hu so a closer relationship with Russia is good in my book.