Thursday, December 21, 2017

Kuril Islands documentaries

We are staying home for Christmas this year so there will be plenty of blogging!

First up, the Kuril Islands. The Ainu were there first. Then, the Japanese settled there. At the end of World War II, the Soviets took over the island chain and kicked out the Japanese. Russia and Japan have not formally ended World War II with each other because of their dispute over these islands.

I remember as a kid in Japan, riding by the Soviet embassy in Tokyo, there would always be a heavy police presence. Right-wing Japanese nationalists driving vans with huge speakers would protest outside everyday, demanding the Kurils back.

This is the recent Economist article that got me hooked on the topic.

The Russian perspective:

The Japanese perspective:

No comments: