Japan won't accept idea of return of 2 of 4 disputed islands: Hatoyama

Sunday 15th November, 05:15 PM JST

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5 Comments

xpompey8 at 07:59 PM JST - 15th November

Keep those US bases in Okinawa and elsewhere because they're your trump card while negotiating with the Russians.
sbg711 at 10:18 PM JST - 15th November

I smell US interference.

There's no way Russia will give back more than 50%. 1. Russians won't lose anything by keeping the islands to themselves. 2. Two islands is but an offering to create ties with Japan.

Dumb stubbornness will only result in the Japanese being at a loss and not the Russians. Obviously, any kind of ties between Japan and Russia are devastating to you know whom, thus pressure is being put as a result, and dumbass statements such as Hatoyama's are being made.

Hope the Japanese government will soon breed some brains and figure who's standing in their way to progress.
MrUSA at 11:53 PM JST - 15th November

Split them 50-50, seems like a reasonable deal to me. Of course we all know these islands are part of Japan, but it's because of LDP that nothing has happened yet. Hatoyama should just accept the deal, improve relations with the Russians, and move on.
fondofj at 12:32 AM JST - 16th November

It's not the time of WW1 when Russian force was so weak and nukeless toddler boy. The strength of vocal capability of Hatoyama is generating by the presence of US forces in Japan. The brutal truth is the whole Japan would be captured by Russia if the US would not come and settle here after the surrender of Japan. Just imagine if there was no US forces here would any Japanese prime minister dare talking about this deal to Russia? They would simply the ignore the issue and forget forever.
yosun at 02:23 AM JST - 16th November

I also suggest to accept the proposal. How can you grasp new oppertunity if you never open your hand? or you suppose you can take it back by force? I can't see any possibility this way in 100 years.