10:20 on September 5th to fly to my hometown

As the peace treaty negotiations with Russia are struggling, on September 5, the 27th summit between Prime Minister Abe and President Putin will be held.
Prior to this, at the time of the Bon Festival in August, a chartered aircraft of a Russian airline took off the airport in Hokkaido with the sound of a propeller. I headed to Kunigo Island and Etorofu Island. The two leaders accompanied "Airway Tomb Visit", which is being agreed upon in order to reduce the burden of the aging former islanders.
(Political Department Reporter Nobu Watanabe Masakazu International Program Department Chief Producer Takahira Natsume)

Reason for "Air"

The grave visit to the northern territory began in 1964 and continued, although it was suspended due to the effects of the East-West Cold War. The transportation was exclusively a ship.

However, traveling by boat takes time. In rough seas, it is very difficult for the elderly to jump from a swaying ship to a “barge” for landing.

Air grave visits using aircraft were agreed at the Japan-Russia summit in April, and this is the third time. This is to reduce the burden of the aging former islanders.

Traveling from Nemuro City, Hokkaido, to the farthest island of Seburijima, the travel time was shortened to about one-fifth compared to ships when traveling by air.

A former Motoshima resident of Etorofu, Mr. Shinzo Matsumoto (78), also participated in “Air Tomb Visit” for the first time.

“If you are a ship, you will have to stay overnight at Kunashiri Island and then stay for one night until you arrive at Chofu Island. The next morning, you will not be able to land. The plane is really easy. I didn't know, I realized again that the island was so close. "

NHK is the representative frame of video coverage of each company, and recorded the grave visit this time.

First to Kunigo Island

A total of 67 people, including 38 former members of the island and their families, as well as government officials, participated in the Air Tomb Visit. “Isei” already had an average age of 81.1 years, and the youngest was “11th” who became “IV”.

Currently, the regular flights at Nakashibetsu Airport are only for ANA, but this sunrise signage shows "Aurora Airlines Flight 9323 / Kunigo Island".

Airway Graveyard uses charter aircraft from Aurora Airlines, the airline of Sakhalin in the Russian Far East.

August 10th, 8:30 am Charter aircraft takes off.

About an hour later, I landed at the airport on Kunigo Island. The third round trip to the air grave started off smoothly. However, in the air grave visits so far, due to bad weather such as dense fog on Kunigo Island, there were a series of troubles that the flight was suddenly canceled or the destination was changed to Sakhalin without having a passport.

An executive of a return movement group that has visited the northern territory many times in the past was relieved, saying, “It does not depend on the weather, but it just starts as planned and is lucky compared to the past two times.”

"Entry" instead of "Entry"

Around 10am. At the airport on Kunigo Island, the party of the Tomb Group went to the “entrance procedure”. From the standpoint that the Northern Four Islands belong to Japan, it is considered as “entrance” rather than “entrance”.

At the end of the procedure, the party of the Tomb Group was divided into “Kokugo-go” and “Takanaku”. Take off the airport in the afternoon and fly for 35 minutes.

Mr. Matsumoto, who is from the island of Seburi, said that he was seeing the island from the sky for the first time, saying, “I was impressed when I saw Tennei, my hometown from the sky. The nature was amazing.”

Arrived at Etorojima. The weather was fine and blessed here as well.

One of the focal points for the Air Tomb Clan this time was whether or not to enter some cemeteries that the Russian side recently refused to enter. There are three graveyards in Kunashiri Island, Teshibetsu Island Rubetsu, and Ponyari. According to Japanese officials, it seems that they are all located near Russian bases. An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “This time, it will be ok because the Russian side has made an OK after the negotiations at the administrative level after the Japan-Russia summit meeting in June.”

To confirm this, a post saying that the mowing of the Ponyari cemetery was almost finished on the facebook of the reporter Watanabe acquaintance of the reporter Watanabe who lives in the town of Etorofu, Oleg Schmihin. It was listed.

Mr. Schmihin is in charge of accepting the Japanese delegation on Etorofu Island. Mr. Schmihin himself has visited Tokyo with no visa exchange.

Mr. Schmihin, who has a big physique and does not always smile, I noticed that he was working hard on mowing. Knowing the preparation situation on the Russian side, I was convinced that this time, I could go to the grave on schedule.

Now, the grave company has lunch at the island cafe.

After that, we divided into nine cars and headed for Tobobetsu on the Okhotsk Sea side.

Special place

The cemetery arrived at the Rubetsu cemetery at around 3:30 pm without being blocked by the Russian side. In a cemetery on a small hill, Mr. Schmihin cut grass and prepared chairs and toilets.

At the memorial ceremony, Mr. Matsumoto, a former Motoshima citizen, greeted, “I stepped up the nostalgic old land and enjoyed the scent of the sea breeze and the azure at this visit to the grave, further strengthening my desire to return to the northern territory.”

Rubetsu is a special place for Japanese people.
This is because the Soviet army first landed on August 28, after the end of the war on August 15, 1945.

The Soviet army subsequently occupied the northern four islands of the islands of Etorofu, Kunigo Island, Shikotan Island and Tohmu Islands by September 5.

Motoshima II second-generation Ichinohe Yasuyuki (55), who lives in Hakodate City, said his father was from Rubetsu, and asked his father about the situation at the time.

According to it, "Soviet soldiers first occupied the Rubetsu post office and then came into the house." The father said that he didn't participate because he said he didn't want to ride a Russian plane.

On Ichinohe's chest, there was a picture of his deceased grandparents. I visited with the feeling of visiting my hometown together.

The great-grandfather is sleeping in this cemetery.

“My grandparents died after leaving the island without being able to visit them once.

A former resident of Sapporo, Masako Sasaki (83), also participated in last year's grave visit, but had a previous visit to Rubetsu. For that reason, it was a joy.

“I didn't do it last year, but I finally realized the visit. My maternal grandfather is asleep in this cemetery, but I think I'm happy because no one has been able to come to see me for years.” He talked with his voice clogged with tears.

On the other hand, Mr. Sasaki thanked the Russians for their response to the Russian side, saying, “I have a lot of complicated thoughts, but I would like to thank you for mowing so cleanly and preparing a chair.” Indicated.

"Same islanders"

A visit to Ponyari Cemetery was also realized. Here again, Mr. Schmihin was mowing and preparing, and a memorial ceremony was held. On the same day, the group who finished the ceremonial ceremony at the two cemeteries stayed in two hotels.

A reporter Watanabe acquaintance has an Aurora Airlines pilot who has chartered the grave.

He is still young and serves as the co-pilot. In fact, the northern islands of Kitakata were born and when I was a child, I had a visa-free exchange experience in Tokyo. He said that he loved Japan because he couldn't forget the heartwarming exchanges when he stayed in a Japanese family. According to his story, only veteran pilots can control charter flights for air grave visits.

He said, “In the future, if I get a chance to fly a flight carrying former Japanese islanders, I would like to welcome you with an in-flight announcement in Japanese as one of the same islanders.” He said hotly.

Legal position of both sides

Kotono Air Tomb Visit was blessed with weather from beginning to end, and the Tomb Group, which stayed overnight after the memorial ceremony, returned to Nakashibetsu Airport on August 11.

From the background so far, it was too smooth, so we who were interviewed also felt like we were out of time. However, nothing was wrong.

As I learned later, in fact, reporters from a commercial TV station and a news agency on Kunigoshima's representative interview reported that Russian police officers were demanding fines for "illegal coverage". It is. However, there was no fact that they had conducted such illegal interviews, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials refused to be “unacceptable” and police officers were withdrawn.

“The approval of the Russian police officers allowed the jurisdiction of Russia on the northern four islands, which was incompatible with the Japanese legal position. There was no fact they claimed. " It was the third visit to the Air Tomb that seemed to be all right, but it was an event that showed the reality that the “difference in the legal position” was always lying at the bottom.

The group devoted themselves to collective action at this empty grave visit. The reason is that if you get into trouble and get a response from the Russian side, you will recognize the jurisdiction of Russia. Visa-free visits to the northern territory, not limited to grave visits, are being carried out with great care so as not to cause troubles and harm the legal position of both Japan and Russia. .

The government is rushing to materialize the joint economic activities between Japan and Russia on the northern four islands, but as more people and goods enter the northern four islands, there will be more points of contact with the local area. The first sightseeing tour in October will be based on the traditional visa-free framework. However, in the realization of joint economic activities, it is indispensable to determine certain rules based on the new “legal framework”. Through this grave interview, I felt that it was difficult to create such a rule amid the difference in legal status between the two countries.

Was it close to my hometown?

In June, the summit between Prime Minister Abe and President Putin said that the peace treaty negotiations, including the difficult northern territory issue, would be handed over to the Tohoku Islands and Shikotan Island after signing a peace treaty. The two leaders reaffirmed their agreement so far on accelerating negotiations based on the joint declaration, and agreed to continue the negotiations.

However, even though Japan and Russia have confirmed the acceleration of negotiations many times, the situation has not progressed when entering the concrete theory. On the Japanese side, by actively promoting exchanges between the two countries, such as tomb visits, the policy is to foster momentum for the return of the northern territory and to persist in the diplomatic negotiations, while aiming to overcome the situation.

My hometown became "near" by air. However, the day to return is still far away.

Shin Watanabe, political reporter
Joined in 2004. He has been assigned to Sakhalin and is currently in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the political department. Lived in Moscow during elementary school. I studied abroad in Uzbekistan, the former Soviet Union, even when I was a university student.

Takahira Natsume, Chief Producer, International Business Department
Joined in 2000. 3 years experience in Moscow office. Currently in charge of “International News 2019” broadcast from 10:00 on weekdays at BS1. This time, we accompany you to Etorofu Island.