Nipponica

Japan said Wednesday it has lodged protests with Russia over its warnings of a live-fire drill and temporary restrictions on foreign vessels in waters off Russian-held, Japanese-claimed islands off Hokkaido.

The islands, called the Northern Territories by Japan and the Southern Kurils by Russia, have long been a source of friction between the two countries, preventing them from signing a peace treaty after World War II.

Japan's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference that the government had received two warnings from Russian authorities regarding the moves taking place in areas including in Japanese "territorial waters."

As someone that appreciates consistency in foreign policy, I welcome a unification in Russian strategy for violating borders on both sides of its empire.