Japan Has Demanded That The New World Map Be Revised

• 11.09.2026, 11:23

Because of the name "Kuril Islands."

Japan has demanded that the new world map based on the Equal Earth projection—which the UN General Assembly had previously voted to adopt—be revised. Tokyo was outraged that the disputed islands in the southern part of the Kuril Islands are colored the same as Russia on the map, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Japan was among the 164 countries that supported the resolution. Ukraine was among the six countries that abstained: Kyiv stated that on the map, Crimea—which was annexed by Russia—was colored differently from the rest of Ukraine’s territory, and warned that such a depiction sets a dangerous precedent. The United States voted against the resolution.

Japanese government spokesperson Minoru Kihara stated on Thursday, September 10, that the map “contains an image that contradicts the Japanese government’s position”.

“We have lodged a protest with the operator of the website that posted the map through diplomatic channels, demanding that this depiction be corrected,” Kihara said. According to him, Tokyo considers it necessary to prevent the spread of “misconceptions” regarding territorial ownership and geographical names.

On September 4, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the use of the Equal Earth projection instead of the traditional Mercator projection. The UN stated that this projection more accurately reflects the actual relative sizes of the continents: in particular, Africa appears significantly larger, while North America and Europe appear smaller than on standard maps using the Mercator projection.