Seventy Years from Invasion in Northern Territory

Breaching neutrality pact, Soviet Union invaded Etorofu Island of Japan’s Northern Territory on August 28^th, 1945. After seventy years, dispute over the territory has still not been settled. While Japan was appealing its legitimacy of sovereignty on the Territory, Soviet Union and Russian Republic promoted economic and military development there, accumulating accomplished facts of actual rule. Japanese movement of returning to those islands is eventually losing power.

It was about two weeks after Japan declared unconditional surrender to United Nations when Russian troops advanced to Etorofu. Embracing basic concept that islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and Habomai Archipelago were inherited territory of Japan, separated from Kuril Islands, Japan started requesting Soviet Union to return those territory. However, the demand had been dismissed in the context of the Cold War between United States and Soviet Union.

In 1956, Japan and Soviet Union delivered a joint statement, in which Shikotan and Habomais would be returned to Japan after the two nations conclude a peace treaty. But negotiation for the treaty yielded only a little progress until Japan proposed in 1998 its flexible attitude on the timing of returning the island, if Russia would recognize Japanese sovereignty on the islands. While Japan added a proposal to separate negotiation over Shikotan and Habomais from Etorofu and Kunashiri, Russia was careful on insistent opinion in Japan to claim four islands to return.

During the negotiation was standing still, development on the islands made great progress. Under Social and Economic Development Plan for Kuril Islands starting 2007, Russian government made major investment on Etorofu. New airport opened in Shana Town, or Kurilisk in Russian name, last year. Swimming pool, movie theater or government-commercial complex will be finished by the end of this year. People living in the island firmly believe that they are living in Russian territory.

For Japanese government, how to keep the momentum for claiming the islands is a major concern. Former residents who have their own interest in Northern Territory are diminishing in number, while they are getting older. Under circumstance of New Cold War between U.S. and Russia over Crimea or Ukraine, people in Japan are pessimistic or skeptical about the future of negotiation over the islands.

Among territorial disputes with neighbor nations, Northern Territory has been recognized as the closest to a settlement. Negotiation over the territory has far longer history than that of Senkaku Islands with China or Takeshima with South Korea. Experts in Japan see that it is the time for political leaders of Japan and Russia to make a great progress with bold decision.