Former residents of Russian-held islands claimed by Japan will hold memorial services for their ancestors at sea and in the air from July 25 to November 7.
The Hokkaido prefectural government announced the plans on Friday. The services are scheduled to occur between July 25 and November 7 this year. They will be conducted at sea and in the air near the northwestern Pacific islands.
An Ainu indigenous group in Hokkaido has filed a lawsuit demanding the return of remains from 279 ancestors held at a state facility.
Imeripotiwa na AI
The Japanese parliament on Wednesday passed legislation to financially support remote islands near the country's borders to prevent them from becoming uninhabited.
Taiwan is exploring the possibility of receiving patients from remote Okinawan islands for treatment during emergencies and major disasters, Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih-yuan said. He made the remarks at a seminar in Taipei on offshore island medical evacuation, attended by Okinawan officials. Taiwan and Japan could build a stronger cross-border emergency response network by sharing information, Ma added.
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The Russian envoy is set to skip the annual Hiroshima peace ceremony, resulting in no Russian representative for the fifth consecutive year since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.