Japan Strongly Protests Putin’s First Visit to Disputed Islands Japan has strongly protested Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to one of the disputed islands off its coast, reigniting a decades old conflict that continues to simmer beneath the surface.
The visit is more than just a diplomatic spat – it's a symptom of a deeper pattern of assertive behavior by Moscow in its relations with its neighbors.
The Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, have been at the center of this dispute since the Second World War.