A group of junior high and high school students from Okinawa Prefecture visited Nemuro in Hokkaido late last year to learn firsthand about the disputed islands off Hokkaido controlled by Russia. Known as the Northern Territories in Japan, these four islands—Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group—were seized by Soviet forces in the closing days of World War II in 1945 and have remained under Russian control ever since. Over 80 years after the war's end, former Japanese residents are still unable to return to their hometowns.
Late last year, a group of junior high and high school students from Okinawa Prefecture traveled to Nemuro, a city in Hokkaido, to gain direct insight into the issues surrounding the disputed islands off Hokkaido's coast that are under Russian control. In Japan, these are referred to as the Northern Territories: the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group of islets. They were seized by Soviet forces from Japan in the final days of World War II in 1945 and have been administered by Russia continuously since then.
More than 80 years after the end of the war, former Japanese inhabitants of the islands continue to be barred from returning to their homes. Nemuro, being the closest point on Japan's mainland to these territories, bears the direct brunt of the dispute. The students engaged with the historical and ongoing context of the islands, exploring the implications for Japan-Russia relations.
Such educational visits aim to inform younger generations about the persistent territorial issue, which Japan has sought to resolve through diplomatic channels without notable progress.