History
The island was known as Totomoshiri ("island of sea lions") by its original Ainu inhabitants. It came under the daimyo of Matsumae clan in the 18th century and got its current European name from a visit of the French navigator La Perouse, who named it Moneron after Paul Mérault Monneron, the chief engineer of his expedition. Latterly, the Japanese named it Kaibatō (海馬島), which was a Sinicized rendition of its Ainu name, but it reverted to its European name after Japan's defeat in World War II and its occupation by the Soviet Union.
Read more about this topic: Moneron Island
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