Japan News » Hokkaido News Japan » Hokkaido » Security: Japan's Northern Territories: The Four Islands Explained
News channel or source: https://japan-forward.com/northern-territories-four-islands-russian-occupation-explainer/
Published on: Monday 07 September 2026
Eighty years after Soviet forces seized the four islands from Japan, their volcanic peaks, fishing grounds, and empty villages still bear witness to an unresolved territorial dispute.
News Japan » Hokkaido » Security: Hokkaido and Osaka governors meet to discuss secondary capital concept
News channel or source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/31/japan/politics/osaka-hokkaido-secondary-capital/
Published on: Sunday 30 August 2026
The two agreed to cooperate on realizing a system where both prefectures would have backup capital functions in the event of a disaster in Tokyo.