Prime Minister Takaichi Criticizes Putin's Visit to the Kuril Islands as 'Absolutely Unacceptable'

According to a report by _CNBC_, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's first visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, stating that these islands are 'Japan's inherent territory.'

On Thursday, Takaichi posted on X that Tokyo 'has repeatedly asked the Russian side to ensure that the president does not visit the Northern Territories.' The 'Northern Territories' referred to by Japan are the Kuril Islands.

She also stated that Putin's visit this time is 'absolutely unacceptable.'

The Kuril Islands are located between the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and the northeastern tip of Japan's Hokkaido. This sparsely populated volcanic archipelago separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean. The four southernmost islands were annexed by the Soviet Union when it invaded Japanese territory at the end of World War II.

During this visit, Putin went to Iturup Island, where Russia has a strategically important military base. He visited a seafood processing plant, a hospital, and a school, and then held a meeting with Sakhalin Oblast Governor Valery Limarenko.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also criticized this visit. He posted on Facebook, 'Japan strongly protests this visit.'

In the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco, Japan abandoned 'all rights, rights, and claims to the Kuril Islands,' but did not recognize Soviet sovereignty over the region.

This island dispute has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from signing a peace treaty since the end of World War II, although the two countries ended their state of war with the 1956 Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration.

An analyst at the U.S. think tank 'Institute for the Study of War' said that Putin's visit this time may be a response by the Kremlin to Japan's latest defense white paper, aimed at undermining Takaichi's efforts to strengthen Japan's defense capabilities.

Japan recently released a new version of its defense white paper, which drew criticism from Putin and Russia's ally North Korea. The Russian president criticized the white paper for listing Moscow as one of the main threats Japan faces.

The white paper states, 'Russia continues to engage in active military activities in the Northern Territories, which are Japan's inherent territories and are currently under illegal occupation.'