New Japanese Airfields on Southern Kurile Islands.
It's not going to happen. The Moscow Times dated 17 Nov 2005 commenting on President Vladimir Putin's forthcoming visit to Japan is saying the islands will stay with Russia and will not be handed back to Japan. In a gesture of defiance Russia has announced plans to spend half a billion dollars to develope the thinly populated island chain so it looks as if the Japanese with all their demanding rhetoric are out of luck. They are muttering suggestions that they might settle instead for a Russian oil pipeline delivering oil to Nakhodka on the East Sea coast and thus allow Japan easy access to oil. However Russia has said they will give priority for oil to China.
Not a good week for the Nippons and especially so if one tosses in the world wide publicity surrounding the auction of a map used to navigate Enola Gay to its target.
Prince of Dzun.