The Kuril Islands dispute (Russian: Спор о принадлежности Курильских островов), also known as the Northern Territories dispute (Japanese: 北方領土問題, Hoppō Ryōdo Mondai?), is a dispute between Japan and the Russian Federation over sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands. The disputed islands, which were annexed by Soviet forces during the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation at the end of World War II, are currently under the Russian administration as South Kuril District of the Sakhalin Oblast (Сахалинская область, Sakhalinskaya oblast), but are claimed by Japan, which refers to them as the Northern Territories (北方領土, Hoppō Ryōdo?) or Southern Chishima (南千島, Minami Chishima?), arguably being part of the Nemuro Subprefecture of Hokkaidō Prefecture.
The San Francisco Peace Treaty between the Allied Powers and Japan from 1951 states that Japan must give up all claims to the Kuril islands, but it also does not recognize the Soviet Union's sovereignty over the Kuril Islands. Furthermore, Japan currently claims that at least some of the disputed islands are not a part of the Kuril Islands, and thus are not covered by the treaty. Russia maintains that the Soviet Union's sovereignty over the islands was recognized following agreements at the end of the Second World War. However, Japan has disputed this claim. The disputed islands are:
- Iturup (Russian: Итуруп)/Etorofu Island (Japanese: 択捉島, Etorofu-tō?)
- Kunashir (Russian: Кунашир)/Kunashiri Island (Japanese: 国後島, Kunashiri-tō?)
- Shikotan (Russian: Шикотан)/Shikotan Island (Japanese: 色丹島, Shikotan-tō?)
- Habomai rocks (Russian: острова Хабомаи ostrova Habomai)/Habomai Islands (Japanese: 歯舞諸島, Habomai-shotō?)
Read more about Kuril Islands Dispute: Background
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