Half of Former Japanese Kuril Residents Believe Islands to Remain Russian

The poll, which was conducted among former inhabitants of the islands and their descendants, showed that only 14 percent of respondents said they believed the Kuril islands would one day return to Japan.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — Almost half of Japanese people, who had lived on four Southern Kuril Islands before they were transferred to the Soviet Union in 1945, do not believe the islands will ever return to Japan, a poll conducted by the NHK broadcaster revealed Friday.

The poll, which was conducted among former inhabitants of the islands and their descendants, showed that only 14 percent of respondents said they believed the islands would one day return to Japan, while 49 of respondents said such a reunification would not happen.

A similar poll conducted 24 years ago showed almost the reverse, with 59 percent of former inhabitants then expressing confidence that the islands would be returned to Japan, while only 16 percent believe the opposite to be true.

Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai, located in the Sea of Okhotsk, are the subject of a long-running territorial dispute between Russia and Japan, with Tokyo still challenging Russia's right to the islands.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said on Thursday that the Kurils issue had been settled in 1945 and ruled out the possibility of there being any dialogue with Tokyo on the issue.