Northern Territories Day

What Is Northern Territories Day?

Every February 7th is "Northern Territories Day" (北方領土の日, Hoppō Ryōdo no Hi) in Japan. The date commemorates February 7, 1855, when Japan and Russia signed the "Treaty of Shimoda" (日露通好条約, Nichibei Tsūkō Jōyaku) — Japan's first formal diplomatic agreement with Russia — which established the border between the two countries between the islands of Etorofu (択捉島) and Uruppu (ウルップ島), placing the four southern Kuril Islands (北方四島: Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group) under Japanese sovereignty. Northern Territories Day was designated in 1981 to promote Japanese awareness of the territorial dispute that began when the Soviet Union occupied these islands in the final days of WWII in 1945.

The Northern Territories Dispute

In the final days of WWII, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan (August 8, 1945) and rapidly occupied the four southernmost Kuril Islands — the islands that the 1855 Treaty had established as Japanese territory. Japan's postwar Peace Treaty (1951, San Francisco) did not resolve the question of the Kurils' ultimate sovereignty, and the Soviet Union (and its successor state Russia) has administered the islands since 1945. Japan maintains that the four southernmost islands — Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai islets — are "Northern Territories" (北方領土) that are inherently Japanese territory illegally occupied by Russia. Russia disputes this characterization.

The Ongoing Dispute

Japan and Russia have no postwar peace treaty — the two countries technically remain in a state of war termination without formal peace. Successive Japanese governments have maintained the position that return of all four islands is a precondition for a peace treaty, while Russia has at times suggested possible transfer of Shikotan and Habomai (the two smallest units) as a partial settlement. The dispute has prevented full normalization of Japan-Russia relations for over 75 years.

Northern Territories Day Observances

On February 7th, the Japanese government holds rallies and events calling for the return of the Northern Territories, and the day receives significant media coverage. Former residents of the islands and their descendants — a community that maintains active advocacy for return — participate prominently in the day's events.

Fun Facts

• Former residents: Approximately 17,000 Japanese residents of the Northern Territories were expelled following the Soviet occupation in 1945-1946. Their descendants now number in the tens of thousands and maintain organizations dedicated to returning to their ancestral islands.
• Visa-free exchanges: Japan and Russia had established a "visa-free exchange" program allowing former residents and their descendants to visit the islands without visas — a program suspended after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine further complicated Japan-Russia relations.