Japanese minister with sushi and from the sea examined the southern chicken into binoculars

The Minister of the Government of Japan Sinji Tarutoko, who is responsible for the problem of "northern territories", as the Japanese call Russian southern Kurils, examined these islands. Tarutoko visited Cape Nosapp on Hokkaido on Sunday and first examined four islands from the shore in binoculars, Interfax reports with reference to the Japanese NHK television company.

Then the minister climbed the ship and examined Kunashir and Habomai from the sea. On the ship, he also met with the Japanese who had previously lived in the southern Kurils. In a conversation, he emphasized the need for a speedy resolution of the "territorial dispute" with Russia, but at the same time refrained from sharp statements to Moscow.

Tarutoko began to be responsible for the questions of the "northern territories" from October 1, when the Prime Minister of the Noda made permutations in the government. Inspection of the islands on which Japan has an unresolved territorial problem with Russia is an obligatory ritual for each official who occupied this high post, RIA Novosti reports.

Japan claims four islands of the Kuril ridge - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai, referring to a bilateral treatise on trade and borders of 1855. Russia insists that the Southern Kurils became part of the USSR following the Second World War, and the Russian sovereignty over them, which has the appropriate international legal design, is beyond doubt. In recent years, careless statements on this subject of both parties have repeatedly led to an exacerbation of relations.

After the highest level meetings this year between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Esihiko Noda, an agreement was achieved to develop bilateral relations in all directions. In 2012, the heads of diplomatic departments of the two countries also exchanged visits, and the visit of Japanese Prime Minister to Moscow in December is being prepared.

The former head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan, Esiro Mori, will go to Russia at the end of November to prepare the visit of the Prime Minister, local media reported on Monday. According to them, during his trip, Mori expects a meeting with President Putin. In Japan, it is believed that the ex-Prime Minister of Japan established trust with the Russian leader and their meeting can become good preparation for the upcoming visit by Esihiko Noda to Moscow.