Former islanders take memorial flight near Russian-held islands
Suspended exchanges have prevented grave visits to the islands claimed by Japan. Another aerial memorial is planned for Nov. 7.
A chartered aircraft carried 34 people, including former residents and their families, near disputed Russian-held islands for a memorial honoring their ancestors. The islands are claimed by Japan, where they are known as the Northern Territories.
The flight departed from Hokkaido’s Nemuro Nakashibetsu Airport at around 10:45 a.m. Participants joined their hands in remembrance at about 11 a.m. It was the second aerial memorial, following one held during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The ceremony was organized largely because exchanges between Japan and Russia have been suspended following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Those programs included visits allowing former islanders to pay respects at family graves.
Among the participants was Tomie Nishidate, 89, who previously lived on Kunashiri Island. She said seeing the islands brought back memories of her hometown. Kuni Tabata, 90, also a former Kunashiri resident, recalled her school while traveling with her daughter, Hitomi Hoshi, 66.
Soviet troops took the islands from Japan near the end of World War II. They remain the subject of a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia.
