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Kurile Islands - 1990

Kurile Islands - 1990

Jacek Pałkiewicz
2006-06-17 15:59:04

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are considered to include "nature" gods, such as of fire, water, wind and thunder; "animal" gods, such as of bears, foxes, spotted owls and so on. Gods which protect houses, gods of mountains and lakes are also worshiped by Ainu people.

Japan and Russia first established diplomatic relations in 1855. In that same year, the Treaty of Commerce, Navigation and Delimitation (the Shimoda Treaty,) which provides for an agreement on national boundaries, between the two was established. Article two of the treaty states a Japanese-Russian border shall lie between the islands of Iturup (Etorofu) and Urup. The whole of Etorofu shall belong to Japan, and the Kurile Islands lying to the north of and including Urup, shall belong to Russia. With regard to Sakhalin Island, rather than establishing a boundary, historical precedent was continued. This treaty between Japan and Russia, reportedly, was concluded after peaceful negotiations and took into account all activities of the two nations in the vicinity of the Sakhalin and Kurile Islands prior to the time of the treaty's conclusion. Commodore Putyatin, a Russian representative to the negotiations reportedly stated at the time of treaty signing that it had been proven that Etorofu island could be a point of future conflict with Japan. This is conclusion was the result of a careful and precise survey, conducted in an effort to avoid future conflict. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, a document was recently made public in Russia, which demonstrates that Czar Nicholas I recognized that the Urup island was the southernmost boundary of Russian territory.

Two erroneous claims were made regarding this treaty. One of these claims was that Japan forced this treaty on Russia, knowing that Russia was at that time in difficulty because of the Crimean War. This is completely contrary to the facts. At the time, Russia was a major power in Europe, whereas Japan was still a weak, feudal nation, being ...