Putin makes first visit to disputed Kuril island; Japan PM calls it 'absolutely unacceptable'

Overview

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup Island (known in Japan as Etorofu) on August 13, 2026. During the visit, he viewed a display honoring "Hero of Russia E.D. Norpolov" at a secondary school bearing the same name. Norpolov was killed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Iturup is the largest of the disputed Southern Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The islands have been occupied by Russia since the end of World War II but are also claimed by Japan.

Historical Context

The Kuril Islands have been a persistent point of contention in Japan-Russia relations. The dispute is one of the reasons Japan and Russia have yet to sign a peace treaty formally concluding World War II.

Japan has long sought to foster economic cooperation with Russia as part of a broader push to normalize relations and ultimately resolve the territorial dispute. The issue was especially significant to former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, given its importance to his father, Abe Shintaro, during the elder Abe's tenure as Japan's foreign minister.

Deteriorating Relations

Since 2022, Japan has joined the United States and European states in condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. In response, Russia formally suspended peace treaty negotiations and canceled visa-free travel for Japanese nationals wishing to visit ancestral graves on the disputed islands.

Putin's visit marks the first time he has traveled to one of the disputed islands. Former President Dmitry Medvedev visited in 2010.

Japan's Response

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae responded in a televised statement on the same day as Putin's visit, saying his trip "hurts the feelings of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable." She added, "We hope that the Russian side will take the seriousness of the matter fully to heart."

She told reporters, "I must say [his visit] has further hardened public sentiment toward Russia in Japan, making it difficult to restore relations over the medium to long term."

According to reporting in The Japan News, Takaichi chose to make a statement herself rather than limiting the response to the Foreign Ministry, given her belief that the prime minister must take a strong stance on territorial issues. The escalation to the prime ministerial level will also make quiet de-escalation more difficult.

Russia's Counterresponse

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin summoned Japan's ambassador in Moscow, Muto Akira, to lodge a formal protest over Takaichi's "anti-Russia" statements.

"The Russian side stated that Russia's sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands are inviolable," Galuzin told Muto, according to a press release from the Russian Foreign Ministry. "…Any attempts by the Japanese side to directly or indirectly call this obvious reality into question are categorically unacceptable and illegitimate."

Strategic Considerations Behind Putin's Visit

Long-term considerations

Japan's predictable protest to Putin's visit provides an opportunity for Russia, China, and North Korea to rally together against Japan's "aggressive" response — which Russia itself provoked.

Medium-term considerations

Japan's heightened energy vulnerability due to the ongoing Iran war limits any real, substantive response by Tokyo. The Middle East is an unreliable source of energy amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and Japan is already doing the most it can to carve out exemptions for its Russian energy imports.

Key energy data:

• Japan imported 9 percent of its total LNG imports from Russia
• Japan received an extension from the United States for its continued exemption to import LNG from Sakhalin-2 from June to December 2026
• In May 2026, Japan began importing Russian petroleum
• 90 percent of Japan's petroleum imports and 6 percent of Japan's LNG imports transit the Strait of Hormuz

As long as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, Japanese leverage over Russia is limited.

Short-term considerations

Putin chose to visit the island two days before the 81st anniversary of Japan announcing its intent to surrender in World War II. This timing ensures extensive coverage in domestic media at a time of heightened sensitivity to war, territorial conquest, and historical injustices.

On the same day as Putin's visit, the Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Japan issued a joint statement declaring that "the contribution of our people to the victory [in World War II] laid a solid foundation for the postwar world order." They also pledged to oppose attempts to revise the results of World War II and warned against remilitarization in the region.