Japan and Russia Agree to 2007 Fishing Quota

There are four islands that poke out to the north from Hokkaido. Russia claims they own the two nothern most islands and Japan say all four of them are Japan’s.

The territorial issue has been a sore spot between Russia and Japan ever since the end of the WWII.

There are fish to be caught there. And…if you go any more north the passage is likely to freeze over preventing ships from Russia’s Vladivostok from transiting and limiting Russia’s Navy to passage through the southern part of the Japan sea.

Is it a matter of fish or military strategy or both?

At any rate, Moscow and Tokyo agreed to how much fishing Japan could do in those waters and to a payment by Japan of 42 million yen ($350K). I guess we can tell who controls the seas, eh?

Earlier this year Russia seized a Japanese boat and accused the captain of poaching. Russia has since apologize but refuses to give back the boat.

Small incident or rubbing a sore spot?

Japan and Russia could have much better relations were it not for two small islands in the middle of nowhere?

There always seems to be something rubbing two people the wrong way, no?

What do you think?