A diplomatic confrontation has intensified between Japan and Russia following President Putin’s visit to the Kuril Islands, a volcanic archipelago of 56 islands stretching approximately 1,200 kilometers from Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula to Japan’s Hokkaido. The dispute centers on four southernmost islands in the chain, which Japan refers to as the Northern Territories and Russia claims as part of the Kurils. After Putin’s visit this week, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi characterized his actions as “absolutely unacceptable,” and Russia’s ambassador was summoned to the Japanese foreign ministry. Moscow subsequently called in the Japanese ambassador in response to what Russian officials characterized as unfounded territorial claims.
The territorial dispute has deep historical roots. The islands were traditionally home to the Ainu people before Japan annexed Hokkaido in 1869 and subsequently controlled the four disputed islands. An 1855 treaty between Japan and Russia recognized Japanese sovereignty over these islands, and an 1875 treaty granted Japan control of the entire Kuril chain in exchange for Russian control of Sakhalin. Following World War II, the Soviet Union seized the four southernmost islands. The 1951 San Francisco peace treaty required Japan to renounce claims to the Kurils, though Japan maintained that the four southernmost islands remained Japanese territory. The Soviet Union never signed this treaty.
Putin’s visit carries significant symbolic weight as only the second visit by a Russian leader to the islands. Dmitry Medvedev visited four times between 2010 and 2015 in his capacities as either prime minister or president. The timing is particularly charged given that bilateral relations have deteriorated substantially in recent years. During the 2010s, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Putin appeared to be moving toward potential resolution, but Russian military deployments in 2020 and subsequent developments halted this progress.
The islands hold multiple forms of strategic value for Russia. They provide access to valuable fishing grounds and potentially significant mineral deposits. More critically, their location astride the line between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean gives Russia year-round access to the Pacific for its naval fleet based in Vladivostok, as the strait between the southern islands does not freeze during winter months. Russia has substantially increased its military presence on the islands in recent years.
Japanese-Russian relations have experienced significant strain, particularly following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Japan to impose sanctions. The confrontation occurs amid revelations of an extensive Russian espionage and military procurement network operating in Japan. Prime Minister Takaichi, a foreign policy hawk from the conservative wing of her party, faces domestic pressure to maintain a firm stance against Moscow, particularly given that the territorial issue has long mobilized Japanese ultra-nationalist groups that regularly protest outside the Russian embassy in Tokyo.
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