Japan and Russia: A Reevaluation in the Post-Soviet Era

As the end of the 20th century approaches, lingering shadows of the devastating mid-century conflict witnessed in World War II are reflected in a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia over possession of the South Kurile Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. For more than four decades, Kremlin leaders contended that there was no territorial problem - the 1945 Yalta Agreement resolved the issue, they claimed - but Japan doggedly insisted the islands were Japanese territory. Yet, even with the major changes that have taken place since the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia and Japan have been unable to reach an agreement. Nimmo examines the attempts of the two countries and their statesmen to resolve their differences. He rpovides an in-depth analysis of Japanese efforts to regain control of the Northern Territories and explores attitudes of both Japanese and Russians at the grass roots level. The author provides an overview of the historical perspectives while giving an extended examination of changing relationships in the post-1991 era. This book should be of interest to diplomatic and military historians, scholars of Japanese and Soviet studies, and students of the contemporary Far East.