Japan Protests UN World Map Designating Kuril Islands as Russian Territory

Japan has protested a new UN-approved world map that identifies the Kuril Islands as Russian territory. While Tokyo initially supported the UN General Assembly's resolution on a map reflecting actual continental proportions, it later withdrew its vote after the islands' status was clarified.

Minoru Kihara, a representative of the Japanese cabinet, stated that Tokyo intends to prevent the circulation of these mapping data and has already filed a formal protest with the map's operator.

Alexander Panov, a former Russian Ambassador and head of the MGIMO Department of Diplomacy, describes these efforts as political maneuvers. He notes that territorial claims over cartography are not unique, citing similar attempts by Washington and Seoul to impose their own versions of borders and place names on the international community.

Panov points out that while the islands currently bear Russian names, Japan continues to use its own historical designations for Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai group, as well as various smaller islets and rocks. He observes that Tokyo protests even when Russian geographical objects are named after figures Japan respects, such as the spy Richard Sorge, whose role in preventing a clash between the USSR and Japan is recognized in Tokyo.

According to Panov, these diplomatic frictions are often intended for domestic consumption or aimed at provoking Russia, suggesting they can be viewed with irony. He asserts that the historical ownership of these territories is already settled.

The expert notes that Japanese rhetoric regarding the Kurils typically intensifies when Russian leadership visits the region. He also highlights a military dimension to the tension, noting that Japan has deployed American missiles targeting Russia's Far Eastern frontiers, a development that necessitates a response from Moscow.