Former residents of islands off the coast of Hokkaido, driven off by a Soviet invasion at the end of World War II, want the government to convince Russia to allow them to visit their ancestral grave sites on the islands. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/22/japan/northern-territories-grave/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #hokkaido #russia #russiajapanrelations #sovietunion #wwii #kunashiri #etorofu #shikotan #habomai #northernterritories