Tensions between Japan and Russia have intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Etorofu Island, part of the Kuril archipelago, which Tokyo claims as part of Japan’s Northern Territories.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi strongly condemned the visit, calling it “absolutely unacceptable” and saying it contradicts Japan’s longstanding position on sovereignty over the disputed islands.
Takaichi said the Northern Territories are historically and under international law part of Japanese territory, adding that Putin’s visit “hurts the feelings of the Japanese people” and represents an unacceptable act by Moscow.
Etorofu, known as Iturup in Russia, is one of four southern Kuril Islands controlled by Russia but claimed by Japan. The territorial dispute dates back to the end of World War II and has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a formal peace treaty for decades.
During his visit, Putin met local residents and officials and visited a school, a hospital and a fish-processing facility. It was the Russian president’s first visit to the disputed islands, prompting an immediate diplomatic protest from Japan.
Takaichi warned that the visit could further deteriorate already strained relations between Tokyo and Moscow.
She noted that bilateral relations have been particularly difficult since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the latest move had further strengthened anti-Russian sentiment in Japan and made any improvement in relations more difficult in the medium and long term.
In response, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned the Russian ambassador in Tokyo to formally protest the visit.
Moscow, meanwhile, has defended its sovereignty over the islands and rejected Japan’s territorial claims, setting the stage for another escalation in the long-running dispute.
