Japan protests Russian military drills on disputed islands

It was simply a tit-for-tat for Japan siding with the G7 on the sanctions. Not that Japan had much alternative.

This is proof that the island stealing barbarians in Moscow have NOnintention of returning any of the STOLEN islands back to Japan

Are there any of Japan's neighboring countries that Japan does not have a territorial dispute with? Let's see, Russia, China, Taiwan, Philippines, South Korea, um, nope! I'm sorry Japan, but you seem to be the common denominator in all these disputes. Coincidence? Victims? I think not!

on the long-contested islands,

They're only long-contested if you happen to be Japanese. The Russians know who the islands belong to.

DisillusionedAug. 14, 2014 - 08:47AM JST Are there any of Japan's neighboring countries that Japan does not have a territorial dispute with? Let's see, Russia, >China, Taiwan, Philippines, South Korea, um, nope! I'm sorry Japan, but you seem to be the common denominator in >all these disputes. Coincidence? Victims? I think not!

I agree that you're not thinking, China has 15 disputes. South Korea has 3, Japan has 4.

The Swiss didn't apply any sanctions against Russia, why did Japan have to?

Really? The Swiss are your marker?

The US wanted Japan to stop getting close to Russia. It has achieved that purpose. Abe wants to ally with Russia against China. But the US wants Japan to be hostile to both Russia and China. Japan couldn't care less about Ukraine, but Mr Abe must obey the Americans.

What choice does he have?

"Extremely regrettable" is nothing but a cliche word used every 2 weeks by Japanese governors and doesn't mean anything at all.

They all say that only to the journalists NOT to who caused the problem.

Diplomacy is one of what Jp governors suck at.

How can the Japanese government call the Kuril islands "disputed" when they lost the islands to the Russians in World War II? The Russians will never give the islands back to Japan.

Japan played the imperialist game and lost. It is time to move on.

Kazumichi: Diplomacy is one of what Jp governors suck at.

And I suppose you think that the Russians are the masters of negotiations regarding the stolen islands?

All the Japanese ever did was fish around them.

The original occupants were seals, birds and Ainu.

If the islands belong to anyone, it would be the Ainu. But the Yamato people (Japanese) pretty much killed them off. As for the indigenous flora and fauna of the islands, is anyone going to tell me that Honshu cares?

Russia needs these islands to protect its back door. It's not going to give them up in a hurry.

** And I suppose you think that the Russians are the masters of negotiations regarding the stolen islands?>

Yes, they are. Japan demands the islands for fifty years, neverteless the islands are firmly in Russian hands. Who are the masters? And the islands were not stolen, they were captured during the war.

@ Burning Bush

Japan should have kept its nose out of the Russia Ukraine situation. The Swiss didn't apply any sanctions against Russia, why did Japan have to?

Wrong the Swiss have apply sanctions against russia (more or less the EU-sanctions)

Kind regards from Switzerland :P

"The exercises came after Russia scrapped a meeting with a Japanese minister in response to a new round of sanctions by Tokyo against senior figures involved in the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula."

That's what you get when you try and play both sides and ask meekly for their understanding and cooperation. Oops!

Anyway, the Japanese government certainly don't like it when the shoe's on the other foot, do they? They hold joint drills with the US on "take back the islands" simulations and what not, but when others do it on land they actually possess and have people living on and administering??

"Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters earlier in the day that “our country, for its part, can’t accept this at all”."

Tough cookies, Abe. What are you going to do about it besides shake your fists when the electorate is watching, then beg Russia for talks and cooperation when they are not? In any case, the islands are Russian.

Ossan: "I agree that you're not thinking, China has 15 disputes. South Korea has 3, Japan has 4."

Ah, so what you're saying, while we talk about 'not thinking', is that it should be ranked, from highest to lowest (or even alphabetical if you can find it in you to be somewhat objective), "China 15, Japan 4, South Korea 3. How about other Asian neighbours compared to Japan and Russia?

The Soviet Union did not declare war on Japan on its own initiative. It agreed to do so at Yalta in cooperation with the UK and US.

"The exercises came after Russia scrapped a meeting with a Japanese minister in response to a new round of sanctions by Tokyo against senior figures involved in the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula."

This’s what Abe’s admin got for flirting with Russia which doesn’t give f to Japan, it’s a shame, J-govt also is flirting with N.K as we are speaking.

No country likes its ally to be a fence-sitter or worse, a traitor.

Japan is the only country in the world that has territorial disputes with ALL of its neighbors. Even China doesn't have that record.

The truth is that Japan did many bad things but got no benefits.

Invaded other nations but got the historic burden and two a-bombs and lost the territory that can sustain inhabitant.

Insisting whale hunting but got recession economy.

3.want to forget the history but get protests from now and then.

They did more the more will be lost.

Abe went to Putin shook his hand and smiled and when Abe left Russia Putin laughed and said a sucker is born everyday and the biggest one just left. A Putin handshake and a smile is nothing this is the worst ruler in the world and a dangerous one that can not be trusted. He will use you to get what he wants, the second biggest sucker is Snowden he will be used as bait very soon!

Jay Wilson,

Whether I think they belong to japan isn't the point. What's wrong here is why they can't argue this issue at ICJ.

Why can't it have someone pass fair judgement?

That's because Jp governors are meek and tame enough to let them keep refusing the judgement.

Sir_EdgarAug. 14, 2014 - 09:03PM JST Japan is the only country in the world that has territorial disputes with ALL of its neighbors. Even China doesn't have >that record.

Wrong. Japan being an island country only has FOUR immediate neighbors and has THREE disputes. Japan and North Korea have no territorial disputes. South Korea also has THREE disputes. China has FIFTEEN disputes.

The only reason Russia now occupies the northern islands is because Japan started a war which it lost and all those right-whiners complaining about the treaty broken might also care to reflect on all the pacts, treaties, conventions and laws broken by fascist imperialist Japan during its long and brutal war across SE and East Asia. They might also reflect on the fact, that it was Japan which first broke the neutrality pact with the Soviet Union when it made a pact with Nazi Germany which was at war with the Soviet Union. There was fog of war and the Soviet Union took advantage of it. They could have easily taken the whole of Hokkaido.

Zichi at it again on this article while fleeing the other related article. Classic.

You have no evidence to support your first sentence, as usual. Your second sentence is purely "classic" for it should be framed.

Tripartite Pact-September 27, 1940 (Stalin was contemplating on joining this as well)

Japan Soviet Neutrality Pact-April 13, 1941 (This essentially allowed the Soviet forces to move Westward in gearing up for the conflict with Germany)

Declaration of Allied Nations signed by Soviet-January 1, 1942. (One can argue June 22, 1941 once Soviet-Germany conflict initiated but still AFTER the neutrality pact).

zichiAug. 14, 2014 - 07:22PM JST The only reason Russia now occupies the northern islands is because Japan started a war which it lost and all those >right-whiners complaining about the treaty broken might also care to reflect on all the pacts, treaties, conventions and >laws broken by fascist imperialist Japan during its long and brutal war across SE and East Asia.

The flaw in this J-basher's argument is that not one of the other victorious Allied powers, agaist all of whom "Japan started a war" took and are still occupying any Japanese territory. That's because the Cairo, Potsdam. Yalta declarations and agreements stipulated that the Allied nations may NOT expand their territory as "spoils of war". Only the USSR violated this by occupying territory that has been Japanese since 1855 by Treaty with Russia, was never taken by force or greed, and was never Russian territory. This is why Russia is on the receiving end of global condemnation on this issue.

They might also reflect on the fact, that it was Japan which first broke the neutrality pact with the Soviet Union when it >made a pact with Nazi Germany which was at war with the Soviet Union. There was fog of war and the Soviet Union >took advantage of it. They could have easily taken the whole of Hokkaido.

This is flawed as well since there exists no provision that makes the Russo-Japanese Non Aggression Pact invalid by reason of one of the parties signing a pact with another third country, regardless of it's position towards either Japan or the USSR. Since Japan and USSR signed the Pact on April 13, 1941 there were no actions by either nation against the other until the USSR unilaterally broke the Pact by attacking Japan in August 1945.

Kazumichi: Jay Wilson,

Whether I think they belong to japan isn't the point. What's wrong here is why they can't argue this issue at ICJ. Why can't it have someone pass fair judgement? That's because Jp governors are meek and tame enough to let them keep refusing the judgement.

Japan has suggested, many times, taking the case over the illegally occupied islands to the ICJ but those Russian barbarians said nyet.

And all this bull-crap about Japanese sanctions for Russia stealing Crimea and provoking the crisis in Ukraine is total garbage, with or without the sanctions, Putin and his ilk NEVER had any intention of returning the islands to Japan

The Soviet Union was at war with Nazi Germany, so Japan should have remained neutral which it did not and signed a pact with Nazi Germany and also supplied arms and other items.

It did? Then there must of been a complaint to the Japanese Embassy in Moskow. Please cite them.

The only reason Russia now occupies the northern islands is because Japan started a war which it lost and all those....

The reason they lost the territory is because the Soviets broke the pact and ramapaged after surrender.

You even dare suggest that there's no evidence Japan started a war? There's no reply to that?

No. And irrelevant. Stop moving your goal posts because you specifically stated "might also care to reflect on all the pacts, treaties, conventions and laws broken by fascist imperialist Japan" which you show no evidence of.

They might also reflect on the fact, that it was Japan which first broke the neutrality pact with the Soviet Union when it made a pact with Nazi Germany which was at war with the Soviet Union.

Read my post @Aug. 14, 2014 - 11:58PM JST

As far as I know, time machine didn't exist at that time.

Are you stating that Japan didn't make a pact with the Nazi, an enemy of the Soviet Union so the 1941 Neutrality Pact wasn't broken?

I reference to you again to read @Aug. 14, 2014 - 11:58PM JST

Soviet Union entering the war against Japan helped to make it shorter especially in China.

Irrelevant.

You don't get to make personal insults nor deciding which posts I decide to comment on?

I apologize. But your tact of fleeing on the related subject matter and repeat the same argument that has already been refuted does seem a little strange.

Seems like everybody is complaining about everybody else in the neighborhood these days. If Japan wants China to stop whining about WWII then Japan has to stop too. When is Abe going to take the high road?

zichiAug. 15, 2014 - 12:35AM JST OssanAmerica :This is flawed as well since there exists no provision that makes the Russo-Japanese Non Aggression Pact invalid by reason of one of the parties signing a pact with another third country, regardless of it's position towards either Japan or the USSR. Since Japan and USSR signed the Pact on April 13, 1941 there were no actions by either nation against the other until the USSR unilaterally broke the Pact by attacking Japan in August 1945."

Article 2 of the Neutrality Pact

Article 2 merely states that both nations must remain neutral. So I ask you again, what actions did Japan take against the USSR during the period April 13, 1941 to Aug 1945?

The Soviet Union was at war with Nazi Germany, so Japan should have remained neutral which it did not and signed >a pact with Nazi Germany and also supplied arms and other items.

So again, what action did Japan take? Did it attack the USSR in support of Germany? And what "arms and other items" did Japan supply to Germany?

For those that compare this to the Senkakus, maybe Japan should do some drills on the Senkakus, then it really WOULD be equivalent.

maybe Japan should do some drills on the Senkakus"<

Can't do that. The US would not give Abe permission. The US only wants Japan to harass China, not to go to war with it, yet.

Does anyone here actually think that Russia will EVER return any of the islands back to Japan? Because this latest stunt from Moscow has me thinking that they wont. Moscow has the NERVE to bitch about Japan placing sanctions on em for their actions in Ukraine, maybe if Russia had not backed out of the last deal to return two of the islands back to Japan then Japan would have been less inclined to place sanctions on those barbarians in the Kremlin

Jay Wilson Aug. 15, 2014 - 08:41AM JST Does anyone here actually think that Russia will EVER return any of the islands back to Japan?

Yes. In 2006, then-President Putin reinstated the 1956 Soviet offer of two of the four territories. The Japanese replied that they would only accept all of the islands. Putin retorted that Russia would now give the Japanese no territory. These actions moved the two parties back to their original positions.

sfjp330: Yes. In 2006, then-President Putin reinstated the 1956 Soviet offer of two of the four territories. The Japanese replied that they would only accept all of the islands. Putin retorted that Russia would now give the Japanese no territory. These actions moved the two parties back to their original positions.

Is there proof of this other than Wikipedia? And how can Putin reinstate the 1956 offer when Moscow said that as long as the US military is in Japan, they will not give back any of the islands? And if China and Russia can work out a deal wherein Moscow gives territory to China, then why not make a serious offer to Japan instead of offering it then withdrawing it when Tokyo does not thank Russia.

Jay Wilson Aug. 15, 2014 - 05:13PM JST Is there proof of this other than Wikipedia? And how can Putin reinstate the 1956 offer when Moscow said that as long as the US military is in Japan, they will not give back any of the islands?

Is there proof that he didn't? Regardless, the two islands that is mentioned represent ony 7 percent of the land space.

sfjp330: Is there proof that he didn't? Regardless, the two islands that is mentioned represent ony 7 percent of the land space.

Yes, I know just how much of the land the two islands represent. And i have read about this on Wikipedia for many hours and can find no proof that he offered Japan anything back in 06. And even if he DID make such an offer, he can not be trusted to keep his word so any promises from him are worthless

@Jay WilsonAUG. 16, 2014 - 09:00AM JST

And even if he DID make such an offer, he can not be trusted to keep his word so any promises from him are worthless.

Jay, if you do not believe him, it doesn't mean that ALL Japanese people think the same way. It seems you are constantly trying to impose a western sort of negativity to Russo-Japanese relations here and there.

night knight: Jay, if you do not believe him, it doesn't mean that ALL Japanese people think the same way. It seems you are constantly trying to impose a western sort of negativity to Russo-Japanese relations here and there.

But promises he makes to Japan ARE worthless; he made offers to return two of the islands then axed the deal. He also lies through his teeth when he says that he is committed to solving this dispute as if he were, the two islands he previously offered would be empty instead of having more occupiers on them.

And speaking of the occupiers on the islands, if Moscow is SO concerned about their standard of living, they should invest money there themselves instead of begging Japan to do it