Russia-Japan

CWA # 125
Russia-Japan
Beyond the Kuril Island Dispute: Tensions between Moscow and Tokyo

Titsala Sangtam
8 June 2019
Photo Source: DW

With an increase in strategic importance that Russia has attached to these islands, it is highly doubtful that Moscow will be willing to compromise with Japan on signing a peace treaty agreement

On 30 May 2019, Russia and Japan accused each other of military build- ups as Japan’s Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Russian’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met for 2+2 joint conference at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo.  The talks  failed to make progress on long-standing Kuril island disputes between the two countries.

On 31 May 2019, Japan Foreign Minister Taro Kono met Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tokyo for a fourth-round negotiations on the peace treaty of the territorial issue to formally end World War II but Japan left its plan of reaching for a peace treaty with Russia because of continuing differences over the Northern Territories or the Southern Kuril issue.

At the joint news conference held in Tokyo, Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow was worried about Japan’s possible deployment plan. Japan is planning to build a pair of US-made Aegis Ashore ground-based missile defence systems in Akita on Japan’s northern coast. Also in Yamaguchi in the southwest as a part of Japan’s rapidly expanding missile defence system to support its ability to counter threats from North Korea and China. Russia Consider the above as a threat, though Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya consider it is for defensive purposes and not for threatening Russia and other countries.

The Kuril Islands: A Brief Note

The Kuril island stretches north across the Pacific Ocean from the Japanese island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. 

On the Russian-controlled island which is claimed by both the countries, Japan also accused Russia of a military build- up but under the international law, the territory is under Russia sovereignty and so they said they are operating and carrying their military activities in their own territory. 

The four islands -  Russia calls it as Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories. Because of the dispute, Russia and Japan did not officially sign a peace treaty to end the World War II.
During 18th and 19th century, Japanese people including members of Hokkaido’s minority Ainu community migrated north to the islands. In 1855, Russia and Japan signed the Treaty of Shimoda, where Japan became the owner of the four southern islands and Russia owns everything to the north. Communities developed on the three of the islands and by the time of World War II began, there were 17,000 Japanese residents. At the end of the war, Russia took control of the islands and by 1949 it had shifted all residents to Japan.

Under the San Francisco Peace Treaty 1951, signed between Russia and Japan give up all their rights, title and claim to the Kuril Islands as well as over other possessions. But nothing was resolved as Russia did not sign the treaty and Japan has never recognised the four islands as a part of the Kuril chain.

The Soviet- Japanese peace Joint Declaration in 1951, solved issues between the two.  However, there was not formal agreement, because of the territorial dispute. Russia also proposed returning the two islands – Shikotan and the rocky Habomai which is close to Japan, but this deal was rejected because the two islands represent only 7% of the land in question. Since then, the dispute has remained unsolved.

On 14 November 2018, the ASEAN Summit held in Singapore, Japan and Russia agreed to make peace treaty negotiations based on a 1956 Soviet Joint Declaration to return the two of the islands to Japan where Tokyo can have actual control over the islands only after a peace treaty was signed. However, in 1960, Japan and the US had signed the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and security. So, Russia withdrew its obligation to hand over the islands to Japan adding that Russia would only hand over the islands to Japan if all foreign troops were pulled out of the country. Since then the progress has been stalled.

Will Tokyo and Moscow formally end World War II?
World War II has ended but for Tokyo and Moscow are still at war over the Southern Kuril or the Northern territories. Russia took control of the islands by the time of World War II. The islands- Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and Habomai, Tokyo also claims it as their territories and also claimed that the islands were illegally annexed by the Soviet Union during World War II.

Today, Japan wants a peace treaty agreement based on 1956 Soviet Joint Declaration on which Russia was ready to hand over Shikotan and Habomai islands to Japan which earlier, Tokyo refused to it but now they are ready to take the deal but the Russians are no longer offering it to Japan. For Russia, the islands are important because they preserve Russian naval access to the Western Pacific and play a vital role in Russia’s nuclear deterrence strategy, the islands link the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean which is the reason why they want to keep it. For Japan, they feel that it is and has traditionally been their territory where there are still some people who have property there and that they want to reclaim it. The offer of the two islands are still on the table, both the countries are not willing to give up on the two islands because of the rich natural resources which are of strategic importance.

Japan’s main priority is to regain the disputed islands, which are north of Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido.  Japan is ready to make progress on the dispute with Russia where they can cooperate with each other and find opportunities in developing oil and gas and other natural resources on the Northern territories. The recent peace treaty plan was not possible because of disagreements on a number of historical and security matters but hoping for a peace treaty agreement on 29 June in Osaka where both the countries will meet for the Group of 20 summit meeting. Tokyo by signing the deal, wants to confirm the 1956 Soviet Joint Declaration in which Moscow states its willingness to give over Shikotan and Habomai islands of the Southern Kuril chain. After that, Japan is planning to engage in negotiations with Russia on sovereignty over the remaining two disputed islands - Iturup and Kunashir.

With an increase in strategic importance that Russia has attached to these islands, it is highly doubtful that Moscow will be willing to compromise with Japan on signing a peace treaty agreement. Hence, to formally end World War II by the two countries will take a long time to resolve it.
  


 


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