2010.11.13 Northern Territories

Somebody told me, after reading my blog on Nov. 5, if what I wrote is right Japan should demand Russia return all the northern islands instead of just four.  His point is that in 1875 those islands had been peacefully ceded to Japan from Russia.  Japan did not took them by force.

He is absolutely right.  Only the south of Karafuto island was ceded as a result of Russo-Japan War. And so if the interpretation of Potsdam Declaration (which Japan accepted) counts this island as one of the territories that Japan took 'by aggression' in the past and so required to give up, it might well have been returned to Russia.   But other northern islands (all Kurile islands) were ceded to Japan in peace.  Why the hell Soviet or current Russia could justify themselves to claim them as their own territories? 

Japanese governments both current Administration by JDP and former one by LDP took their position that at least those four in the southernmost should be returned because they had been Japan's own territories in history until the time of Soviet's invasion.
They have been too nice to the burglar who has kept occupying a room in our upstairs for 65 years.