Japan PM says Putin’s visit to disputed islands ‘absolutely unacceptable’

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the disputed Kuril islands on Thursday, calling it "absolutely unacceptable". The Kremlin reported that Putin had toured Iturup, also known as Etorofu, one of four islands in the Kuril chain contested by Russia and Japan. Takaichi asserted that the islands are a "unique territory of [Japan] historically and under international law".

Japan and Russia have been embroiled in a territorial dispute over the Kurils for decades, preventing them from signing a peace treaty following World War Two. The Kuril islands lie between Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. Four southernmost islands are claimed by Japan, which refers to them as the Northern Territories; Russia administers them.

During his visit, Putin tasted fish roe and conversed with locals, according to Russian state media. Earlier, Japan's foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, maintained that the islands were "inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law, and the Government of Japan strongly protests this visit". Over the years, efforts to resolve the territorial dispute have yielded little progress, and bilateral relations have remained tense, with Japan imposing sanctions on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Japan has also protested prior visits by Russian officials to the disputed islands, including Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev. Strategically vital for Russia, the Kuril islands have seen an increase in Russian military presence in the region over the past decade. Iturup, for instance, serves as a primary Russian military air base.

Last month, Chinese and Russian naval vessels navigated a strait between the Kuril islands in a joint patrol. Additionally, Russia conducts regular military drills near the islands, which Japan views with disapproval.