More recently, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested to Russia in connection with the conduct of flight exercises on the island of Iturup. Japan condemns the strengthening of the Russian military presence on the four islands of the inhospitable Kuril ridge, which are considered their own in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Prejudice and pride
The conventional wisdom that Japan, by insisting on the return of the four islands of Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and Habomai, is seeking to expand the area for settlement, looks implausible. The northernmost of Japan's large islands, Hokkaido is sparsely populated, with the exception of the one located in the southern part of Sapporo. At the same time, the largest cities, Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya are located on the largest island, Honshu.
The main industries are concentrated here and it is much easier to find a high-paying job. The Kuril Islands, on the other hand, are inaccessible, the local climate is difficult, and the only industry of the islands is fishing. Thus, the four islands of the South Kuril Islands are hardly attractive to Japanese settlers.
Only pensioners from the island of Hokkaido and politicians are not weakening interest in the Kurials. When the Soviet Union, according to agreements with the allies, began military operations against Imperial Japan, the majority of the Japanese population left the Kuril Islands.
The graves of the ancestors of the settlers remained on the islands, the veneration of which is extremely important. That is why Russia and Japan have specially discussed the possibility of the Japanese from the island of Hokkaido visiting the South Kuriles using an insert in their passport. As those who consider it their duty to visit the graves of their ancestors on the islands get older, it becomes more and more difficult to get them there: now the possibility of opening direct flights is being discussed.
The position of official Tokyo is much less sentimental: negotiations on a peace agreement, which was not signed after the end of World War II, can begin only after the transfer of the islands. The inviolability of the Japanese position should be demonstrated by the holiday, "Day of the Northern Territories", since 1981 unofficially celebrated throughout the country on February 7.
Promotional video:
During this holiday, officials remind of the need to return the four islands to Japanese jurisdiction, and excursions to the northeastern tip of the island of Hokkaido are arranged for schoolchildren from different parts of the country, from which they can see the Northern Territories even out of the corner of their eyes.
Tokyo's tough position, backed by the United States, makes it difficult to forge a full-fledged economic partnership so important for Russia and Japan. Despite all the hopelessness of the situation, neither side is ready to sacrifice its interests.
For the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, the return of the Kuril Islands is a matter of honor. Even Shinzo's father, Shintaro Abe, as Japan's foreign minister, demanded the return of the Northern Territories to the country's jurisdiction. Shinzo Abe is faced with the difficult task of unraveling the knot of the Kuril contradictions, and there can be only two ways out: to achieve his goal or to yield to Russia.
The first exodus secures Abe's place in Japanese history forever, the second means his political demise. Thus, for the Japanese Prime Minister, the issue of the South Kuriles is a matter of principle, and its favorable resolution is in the personal interests of Abe himself.
Eastern Outpost
The cession of four islands is also impossible for the Russian Federation. Firstly, it creates a precedent for redrawing the political map, and also insults the memory of Soviet soldiers who laid their heads to defeat Imperial Japan, an ally of the Third Reich. But, perhaps, the most important reason why Russia will by no means concede the South Kuriles to Japan is in geopolitics. The islands are good bases for the deployment of troops and missile defenses.
From the point of view of the country's current defense capability, the possession of the South Kurils is an important component of the security of the Russian Far East. On the other hand, the return of the islands to Japan would inevitably mean their remilitarization.
Taking into account the allied relations between the Land of the Rising Sun and the United States, it is possible that US missile defense facilities will be deployed in the immediate vicinity of Russian borders. The emergence of the Aegis missile defense systems could be a blow to the deterrent potential of the Russian missile forces.
In addition to the obvious threat from the United States, one cannot deny the growing military ambitions of Japan itself, which is actively developing its Self-Defense Forces. Obtaining the South Kuriles can significantly strengthen the geopolitical position of the state, since the islands are the key to dominance over the Sea of Okhotsk.
In the current conditions, the solution of the problem of the South Kuriles, or "Northern Territories" is not possible. The Japanese government is trapped in its own promises and lacks the political flexibility to negotiate successfully. Given the foreign policy situation, Russia views the Kuril Islands as an important component of its own security and is also not ready to make concessions.
While the Japanese Foreign Ministry is preparing another protest, the old people from Hokkaido dream of seeing the sunrise on the islands where their ancestors rest at least once.
Maxim Saltykov