Northern Territories Issue at the Japan-Russia Summit Meeting in November 2018 There was a new move in.
Based on the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration signed in 1956, an agreement was reached between the two countries to accelerate negotiations to conclude a peace treaty. The Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration states that after the conclusion of the peace treaty, the four northern islands [ Habomai Islands, Irotan Island, Kunashir Island, Iturup Island ], It is written that the two islands of Habomai and Shitan will be handed over to Japan.
However, Japan has so far requested the simultaneous return of the four islands.
Officially, the government has the principle of resolving the attribution of territorial disputes and then concluding a peace treaty . ] Is stated. However, depending on the point of view, it is thought that the government may have changed its policy to return the two islands in advance.
In any case, I think it is necessary to keep an eye on the situation, including what kind of claims Russia will make in the future.
What is the Northern Territories issue?
The four northern islands are unique to Japan, which has never been a foreign territory until after the war.
After accepting the Potsdam Declaration at the end of World War II and expressing their intention to surrender, Soviet troops invaded the four northern islands and forcibly expelled the Japanese islanders. In this way, this problem of continuing to occupy the four northern islands of Japan without legal grounds is Northern Territories . 】Is called.
This Northern Territories issue is the biggest concern between Japan and Russia, and the Japanese government has repeatedly negotiated with the Russian (Soviet Union) government to return the territory.
The Northern Territories are unique territories since the border was established
The Government of Japan has set the four northern islands as [ Japan's unique territory . ] Continues to insist.
1854 Japan and Russia have Treaty of Shimoda Was signed. At this time, I decided on an ambiguous border.
South of Etorofu Island became Japanese territory, and north of Urup Island became Russian territory.
In addition, Sakhalin has become a multi-tenant land in both Japan and Russia. In other words, the four northern islands clearly became Japanese territory at this time.
1875 Sakhalin-Kuril Exchange Treaty And 1905 Portsmouth Treaty Occasionally, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin north of Etorofu Island were incorporated into Japanese territory, but the four northern islands south of the Kuril Islands continue to be Japanese territory until the defeat in World War II.
In 1941, the United States and Great Britain [ Declaration of Non-Expansion of Territory ] Is declared in the Atlantic Charter. This is because [ after World War II, the Allies do not seek the ceding of territory from the defeated nations and do not expand their territory ] It is a declaration of things. This declaration has also been agreed by the Soviet Union.
Since the four northern islands have been the territory of Japan since the territory was confirmed, the occupation of the four northern islands of the Soviet Union violates the declaration of non-expansion of the territory. This is the basis for requesting the return of the Northern Territories, which is a territory peculiar to Japan in Japan.
Reason why the Northern Territories issue with Russia does not progress
Military reasons are the reason why negotiations on the Northern Territories issue with Russia have not progressed.
The Kunashiri Suido, located between Kunashiri Island and Iturup Island, does not freeze the sea even in winter. If the US troops are stationed in Japan after returning to Japan, the Russian troops will not be able to pass through the Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Okhotsk through the Ekaterina Bay.
It is a very disadvantageous position in the military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also said [ If the island is returned to Japan, there is a possibility that the U.S. military will deploy there ] And even expressed concern.
Russia is currently deploying surface-to-ship missiles on Kunashir Island and Iturup Island to strengthen its defenses.
History of negotiations with Russia on the Northern Territories issue
So far, there has been no room for negotiations on the Northern Territories issue with Russia. The Irkutsk Declaration issued in both Japan and Russia in 2001 confirmed that the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration issued in 1956 is still valid.
At that time, in Japan, I was planning to have Futajima returned first, and then negotiate the rest of the return. However, negotiations to conclude a peace treaty were difficult, and the Soviet Union added the US military's withdrawal to Japan as a condition for the return of the two islands, so the negotiations themselves ran into a deadlock.
After that, the content of the Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration was ambiguous in itself, but both sides confirmed that it was still valid in the Irkutsk Declaration.
After the Irkutsk Declaration, within the Japanese government, [ Futajima return prior theory ] Will be considered, but [ Simultaneous return of four islands ] Many people insist that the Futajima advance return plan has disappeared.
Also, 2006 Putin said [ Both sides want to compromise and solve the territorial dispute ], From the Russian side [ A plan to divide the four northern islands by area ] Was issued. Mr. Taro Aso, the Foreign Minister at that time, was also [ subject to consideration . ] And show a flexible posture.
However, Mr. Aso, who became Prime Minister, said, [ Russia illegally occupies the Northern Territories . ], And Russia bends its navel and hardens its attitude. Since then, the Northern Territories issue has not progressed.
San Francisco Peace Treaty and Futajima Return Preliminary Theory
Now Japan is [ four islands return theory ], But in the 1950s [ Futajima return prior theory ] Was the mainstream. In 1951, Japan signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty with 48 countries, ending the occupation that had continued since the defeat.
In one sentence of this treaty, [ Abandon the Kuril Islands ] Was included, which became the legal basis for Japan to lose the four northern islands. However, Japan insisted that Kunashir Island and Etorofu Island are included in the Kuril Islands, but Habomai and Iturup Island are part of Hokkaido, so the two islands of the child should be returned.
The San Francisco Peace Treaty does not determine who owns the Kuril Islands, but in reality the Soviet Union was in effective control, so Japan began negotiations with the Soviet Union.
However, if the United States ends negotiations only with the return of Habomai and Shitan and hands Kunashir and Etorofu to the Soviet Union, the return of Okinawa will be returned to a blank slate . ] And pressure. In the Cold War structure, it was inconvenient for the United States to compromise between Japan and the Soviet Union.
Since then, Japan has withdrawn the two-island return precedent and switched to the four-island lump sum return theory.
The Kuril Islands are also from the conventional claim [ Iturup, Kunashir Island is not included in the Kuril Islands, so it should be disliked by all four islands ] I came to insist.
Is Russia occupying the Northern Territories because of a secret agreement with the United States? ??
The San Francisco Peace Treaty states that Japan will abandon the Kuril Islands, but the fact that the scope is not stated is a problem. Therefore, Japan is [Habomai and Shitan are not the Kuril Islands] [After all, the four islands are not the Kuril Islands] I was able to insist.
Many people think that if the range of the Kuril Islands was written, the Northern Territories issue would not have been disturbed so far.
Another problem was that the treaty did not specify the territorial nations of the Kuril Islands.
Regarding territorial rights, the Soviet Union claims that it is justified.
The rationale is Yalta Conference It is in.
At this meeting, the United States is said to have admitted that in return for participating in the Soviet Union, Japan would occupy the southern part of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands after the war. Based on the agreement, the Soviet Union abandoned the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Treaty, occupied the Northern Territories, and participated in the war.
For the above reasons, Russia today [ it is natural for us to own the Kuril Islands (four northern islands) . ] I am thinking.