Japan Objects to Vladimir Putin's First Kuril Islands Visit

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that Russia's President Vladimir Putin's visit to Etorofu Island in the Kurils, described by Russian state media as his first to the archipelago, is "unacceptable". Tokyo officially registered its protest through diplomatic channels, maintaining its stance on the islands' sovereignty.

The Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, have been a point of contention since the close of the Second World War when Soviet forces seized them. This territorial dispute has continuously obstructed the signing of a formal peace treaty between Japan and Russia, leaving the two countries technically still at war.

The archipelago, stretching for 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) from Japan's Hokkaido island to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, comprises over 50 islands and islets. The four southernmost islands – Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai islets – are particularly central to Japan's claim.

While Russia has consistently rejected Japan's claims, the recent high-profile visit by President Putin underscores the firm and unyielding nature of Moscow's control and sovereign assertion over the territory.