Japan Issued A Statement On The Kuril Islands

• 5.10.2026, 14:26

Tokyo's position remains unchanged.

Japan has set a new foreign policy course in its relations with Russia. According to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, her country will now seek a complete resolution of the territorial dispute between the two sides. Ultimately, Japan hopes to conclude a peace treaty with Russia.

At the same time, Takaichi reaffirmed Japan’s long-standing and unwavering position that the Southern Kuril Islands—or, as they are called in Japan, the “Northern Territories”—do not belong to Russia. According to her, this is allegedly confirmed not only by historical precedents but also by international legal instruments.

It should be recalled that Japan and Russia have never signed a peace treaty since World War II. During an international conference in San Francisco in September 1951, the Japanese government signed a peace treaty with 48 countries, but the Soviet Union refused to ratify the document because there was no clear understanding of in whose favor Japan was relinquishing the disputed territories, and because representatives of some countries that had suffered from Japanese aggression were not present at the conference.