Introduction

One of the most serious problems of the historical past, which occupies a central place in Russo-Japanese relations, is the unsolved problem of border demarcation, widely known as the Russo-Japanese territorial dispute. It involves four Southern Kurile Islands (Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomais), with approximately 3,000 sq km of territory and about 200,000 sq km of waters around them, abundant with fish and other marine resources. The lack of a mutually recognized borderline is rooted in the absence of a peace treaty between the two countries after World War II.

The Japanese side believes that the territorial dispute with Russia arose as a result of unilateral and illegal actions of the Soviet Union at the end of World War II when it occupied the ancestral Japanese territories. Since 1956 the four islands have been declared as Japan’s “Northern Territories.” This name continues to be used in official documents of the Japanese government at present. Russia denies the territorial problem per se and rejects Japan’s claims as untenable and not based on legal and historical facts. Moscow recognizes only the existence of the unresolved problem of border demarcation, but insists that it should be settled only after the conclusion of a peace treaty that would reflect common understanding of the results of World War II by both sides.

Historical context

It should be noted that both Russia and Japan have their own historical arguments for the legality of their sovereignty over the islands. It is also evident that the Kuril Islands cannot be called ancestral territories for either side, while the dispute around the issue of which side was the first to include them in its domain is absolutely fruitless.