Northern territories and Japan-Russia relations: Latest developments under prime minister Taro Aso

Abstract

Since the end of World War II, Japan and Russia have been at odds over a territorial contentious, regarding the four southernmost islands from the Archipelago of the Kurils, taken by the USSR from Japan. Up to now, neither country has been able to come up with a satisfactory solution for these four islands called Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and Habomai (the so called “Northern Territories” in Japan). Diplomatic relations and economic and trade relations have developed, but the territorial row stands as a stumbling block preventing the improvement of relations. Since the end of the Koizumi administration and its intense but unsuccessful negotiations over Siberian energy resources and the territorial problem, momentum seems to be gathering under the current Prime Minister Taro Aso. Still, despite positive rhetoric from the Russian side and illusions from Japan that Russian economic problems and worsened relations with the West will leave them with the upper hand and with the leverage to force a solution in its favor, Russia has still not given any substantial sign of willingness to proceed seriously with the solution of the territorial problem and seems rather bent on emphasizing the economic side of their bilateral relations leaving aside more thorny issues.