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Putin Visits Disputed Kuril Islands, Worrying Nemuro Economy

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

President Vladimir V. Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands near Nemuro, Japan, on a summer day.
Mayor Masatoshi Ishigaki warned that Japan-Russia friction would immediately harm Nemuro's economy.
Nemuro relies on Russian trade and fishing rights, making the dispute economically sensitive.
The town promotes Japan's claim with museums, “Give it back!” billboards and monuments.
Japan calls the islands the Northern Territories; Russia calls them the southern Kuril Islands, seized in 1945.

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Story summary

President Vladimir V. Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands near Nemuro, Japan, on a summer day.
Mayor Masatoshi Ishigaki warned that Japan-Russia friction would immediately harm Nemuro's economy.
Nemuro relies on Russian trade and fishing rights, making the dispute economically sensitive.
The town promotes Japan's claim with museums, “Give it back!” billboards and monuments.
Japan calls the islands the Northern Territories; Russia calls them the southern Kuril Islands, seized in 1945.