On the 7th of "Northern Territories Day", a resident assembly was held in Nemuro City, Hokkaido, appealing for the return of the island, and everyone shouted out loud for the first time in three years.
For the first time in three years, general participants were invited to the resident convention held in Nemuro City, and approximately 850 people, including former residents of the Northern Territories, participated.
The average age of former islanders is over 87.
Among them, Akio Suzuki (82), a native of Kunashiri Island, on behalf of the former islanders, said, "Japan-Russia relations are deteriorating, but the government needs to exercise strong diplomacy so that the Northern Territories issue will not be left behind. I want to negotiate," he said.
Kureha Sato, a fourth-generation former high school student, said, ``Now that the population of former islanders is aging, what is required of the younger generation is for each and every one of them to raise their awareness. We will be active," he said.
Regarding the Northern Territories issue, in March last year Russia expressed its intention to suspend negotiations on a peace treaty, including the issue of the Northern Territories, in protest against Japan's sanctions against its military invasion of Ukraine. is also discontinued.
At the end of the residents' meeting, all the participants shouted, "Give back the Northern Territories!"
Mr. Hiroshi Tokuyoshi from Shikotan Island, who participated in the event, said, "There was a blank period of three years, but I'm glad that we were able to hold the event with general participants. Middle-aged and young people also participated, and I felt it was reliable." was