Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi strongly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin`s first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril Islands on Thursday, describing the trip as absolutely unacceptable, BBC News reported. Russian state media confirmed that Putin arrived on the island of Iturup, which is known in Japan as Etorofu and claimed by Tokyo as part of its sovereign territory. Speaking to reporters at the prime minister`s office in Tokyo, Takaichi stated that the island chain represents a unique territory of Japan historically and under international law, warning that the presidential visit has severely damaged Japanese public sentiment toward Russia.
The sovereignty dispute over the Kuril Islands has persisted for decades, serving as the principal obstacle preventing Moscow and Tokyo from signing a formal peace treaty following the conclusion of World War II. Positioned between Hokkaido in northern Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia, the four southernmost islands of the chain are referred to by Tokyo as the Northern Territories. At the end of the Second World War in 1945, the Soviet Union annexed the entire island chain and forcibly deported approximately 17,000 Japanese residents. Russia has continuously administered the territory ever since, maintaining a firm administrative and military grip on the region.
During his stay on Iturup, President Putin toured local seafood production facilities, sampled regional fish roe, and engaged in discussions with resident islanders, according to Russian state news broadcasts. In response to the high-profile visit, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi issued an official diplomatic protest, reiterating that the islands belong inherently to Japan both historically and under international legal precedents. Prime Minister Takaichi further stated that the Kremlin`s actions directly wound the feelings of the Japanese people and called on Russian officials to recognize the gravity of the situation.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the territorial impasse have yielded negligible progress over the past several decades. Bilateral relations deteriorated significantly following Japan`s decision to align with Western allies in imposing economic sanctions against Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Tokyo has previously lodged formal protests over visits to the islands by senior Russian officials, including former Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and former President Dmitry Medvedev, underscoring Japan`s consistent policy regarding its territorial sovereignty.
The Kuril Islands remain a vital defense outpost for Moscow, which has methodically expanded its military presence across the archipelago over the past decade. The island of Iturup functions as Russia`s primary military air base in the region, hosting regular military drills and defensive installations. Security tensions in the Far East escalated further last month when warships from the Russian and Chinese navies conducted a joint maritime patrol through a strategic strait within the Kuril chain. What remains unclear is whether Putin`s visit signals a permanent end to prospective peace negotiations between Tokyo and Moscow over the disputed territories.
