Japan swung at Sakhalin, and Russia needs to demand the return of the island of Hokkaido: historically it is ours. Japanese islands. Hokkaido Island Attractions and Attractions Hokkaido
Over an area of 83,400 sq. km, it is the second in the state. Its population is about 5.5 million inhabitants. The Japanese island of Hokkaido is the northernmost of the four largest islands states. It is separated from Honshu by the Sangar Strait.
The whole territory is divided into 14 districts. Under the control of Hokkaido there are several adjacent islands, for example, Rishiri, Rebun and others. There are nine main cities on the island: Sapporo, Hakodate, Kushiro, Asahikawa, Ebetsu, Otaru, Tomakomai, Obihiro and Kitami. Sapporo is the administrative center, it is home to about 30% of the population of Hokkaido. There are 39 colleges and 37 universities on the island.
Hokkaido is a popular destination for tourists. Most often, it is reached by ferry or plane; it is connected with other islands of the state only by a railway tunnel that leads directly to the island of Honshu. The tunnel called "Seikan" is located at a depth of 240 meters.
History of Hokkaido
The first settlements arose 20 thousand years ago in Hokkaido. The islands of the central part of Japan are significantly different from the northern ones, where it is located. For a long time, the life and traditions of one culture were continued in others. Such continuity was observed in the Satsumon culture, which was a transformed post-Jōmon. It is Jomon that is considered the first culture that arose in Hokkaido. On the basis of Satsumon, the Ainu culture arose in the 13th century, which still exists today.
In the Middle Ages, the Japanese arrived on the island. At enmity with the Ainu, they occupy southern part territory. In the 17th century, the Japanese create a feudal principality, which establishes control over the entire island, without subjugating the Ainu to the end.
In the 19th century, the Hokkaido Administration was created, which performs the functions government agency. The island is undergoing significant work to improve infrastructure. Under construction railways and ports, a transport system is being established between Hokkaido and Honshu. There are steel, sawmills, paper mills, agriculture is developing. Since then, industry has been one of the important industries on the island.
Geography of Hokkaido
The islands of Japan are mostly of volcanic origin, Hokkaido is no exception. The territory of the island is formed by ophiolites and sedimentary-volcanic rocks. From the northern coast is the Sea of Okhotsk. The island is also washed by the Sea of Japan and the waters of the Pacific Ocean. In the south, Hokkaido is represented by the Oshima Peninsula. On this island there are two extreme points of the country at once: in the north it is Cape Soya, and in the east - Nosappu-Saki.
The terrain is mountainous and flat at the same time. Volcanoes and mountains stretch through the entire central part. The island is affected by seismic activity, and some volcanoes are considered active (Koma, Usu, Tokachi, Tarume, Mezakan). Asahi is the highest peak. This mountain on the island of Hokkaido reaches 2290 meters in height. The plains are located closer to the coasts.
Climate
Due to its length from north to south, the climatic conditions of Japan differ in different parts of the country. Cold temperatures are different in Hokkaido. The islands in the southwestern part, on the contrary, have warm conditions, as a subtropical climate has formed here.
Winters in Hokkaido are colder than in other regions of Japan, with snow on the island up to 120 days per season. On the mountain ranges closer to the northern part of the island, snowdrifts can reach 11 meters, and almost two meters near the Pacific coast. In January, the average temperature is from -12 to -4 degrees. Throughout the winter, many drifting ice floes are observed from the Sea of Okhotsk.
Summers are usually cool too. The average August temperature is from 17 to 22 degrees. In summer, the number of rainy days averages up to 150, although this figure is much higher on other islands.
Animal and plant world
The nature of Hokkaido is the main reason why tourists visit it. Despite the large number of industrial enterprises, the government managed to preserve natural resources. Approximately 70% is occupied by forests. Coniferous trees grow in the northern part, they are represented by spruces, cedars, and firs. Broad-leaved trees grow in the southern part. Bamboo is also widespread in Hokkaido.
The animal world is quite diverse. It is home to the largest population of brown bears in Asia. Stoats, sables, foxes live on the island. Local lakes are full of fish, and in spring many birds fly here. One of the local residents is a flying squirrel called "ezo momonga", which can only be found in Hokkaido.
Attractions
The main attractions of the island are, of course, natural objects. Hokkaido has about 20 national, quasi-national parks and reserves. The island has a huge number of lakes, hot springs and picturesque mountains.
In the city of Kushiro there is a natural park of Japanese cranes, which are under special protection of the state. national park Akan, which is located on the shores of the lake of the same name, is famous for its hot springs.
At the Tomita farm in Furano, you can observe stunning beauties. Hectares of the territory are planted with various varieties of lavender. From June to July, the fields are decorated with lilac, white and other flowers. Sunflowers, poppies, and daffodils grow here.
One of the most popular places on the island is Blue Lake. Gray trunks of withered trees peep out of the bright blue water, creating a truly bewitching sight.
Resorts and festivals
Thanks to snowy winters and mountains, in November Hokkaido opens ski resorts. They operate in the city of Furano, Niseki, Biei. In addition, interesting festivals are organized on the island. The main city of Hokkaido opens every year snow festival. At this time, huge snowdrifts become a real material for creativity. About two million people from all over the world come to compete in the ability to create sculptures from ice and snow. Another winter festival is organized in the city of Mombetsu, it is called the “Drifting Ice Festival”.
On the Furano farm we already know, the Lavender Festival opens every summer. This action is dedicated, of course, to the flowering of this plant. In total, more than a thousand different festivals and celebrations take place on the island. One of them, by the way, is very reminiscent of European harvest festivals, only everything happens near the seashores, and instead of gratitude for the fruit harvest, the locals thank nature for the generous catch.
Conclusion
Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the largest Japanese islands. Hokkaido is the second largest island. It is located in the northern part of the country, due to which its climate is colder and harsher than in the rest of Japan. Despite this, the island has unique nature, which millions of people come to see from different parts of our planet.
Coordinates : 43°04′ N. sh. 141°54′ E d. / 43.067° N sh. 141.900° E d. / 43.067; 141.900 (G) (I)Hokkaido (jap. 北海道 Hokkaido:, "North Sea Governorate"), formerly known as Ezo, in old Russian transcription Yesso, Ieddo, Iezo is the second largest island in Japan. Until 1859, it was also called Matsumae, after the surname of the ruling feudal clan that owned the castle town. Matsumae- in the old Russian transcription - Matsmai, Matsmay.
Geography
Hokkaido is located in the northern part of Japan. The northern coast of the island is washed by the cold Sea of Okhotsk and faces the Pacific coast of the Russian Far East. The territory of Hokkaido is almost equally divided between mountains and plains, moreover, the mountains are located in the center of the island and stretch in ridges from north to south. The most high peak- Mount Asahi (2290 m). In the western part of the island, along the Ishikari River (length 265 km), there is a valley with the same name, in the eastern part, along the Tokati River (156 km) - another valley. The southern part of Hokkaido is formed by the Oshima Peninsula, separated from Honshu by the Sangar Strait. Between these islands, the Seikan Railway Tunnel is built under the seabed.
The easternmost point of Japan is located on the island - Cape Nosappu-Saki. Also located on it is the northernmost point of Japan - Cape Soya.
The largest city Hokkaido and the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name - Sapporo.
Climate
The climate of Hokkaido is noticeably colder than in other parts of Japan. The average annual temperature on the island is only +8 °C. The proximity of the Pacific Ocean affects the fact that the island has an average of only 17 full sunny days a year, an average of 149 rainy days are recorded in summer, and 123 snowy days in winter. Despite the amount of rainfall, Hokkaido has drier summers than other parts of the country and colder winters. In Japan, the island is considered the "harsh North", since the climate of the island is strikingly different from that of other, more southern islands x country.
Flora and fauna
Most of Hokkaido is covered in forests. Coniferous forests of spruce and fir predominate, with dense thickets of bamboo in the undergrowth. Cedar and birch forests grow at a height, wastelands with shrubs are located. In the northern part, the border of forests of coniferous trees is at an altitude of 500 meters, in the south of the island, forests consist of broad-leaved trees. In the forests you can meet sable, ermine, weasel, brown bear, fox. Hokkaido bears are distinguished by their ferocious disposition.
Historical information
Prehistoric and ancient times
The oldest artifacts found in Hokkaido belong to the Late Paleolithic era. These are stone flakes made by primitive man 25-20 thousand years ago. They were found at the mountain site Shukyubai-Sankakuyama (Japanese 祝梅三角山遺跡) of the city of Chitose and the Shimaki site (Japanese 嶋木遺跡) of the village of Kamishihoro. 15-12 thousand years ago, in the Mesolithic era, the technique of making stone blades spread to Hokkaido, which is associated with the emergence of a culture of microlithic tools. At the same time, the inhabitants of the island learned to use a bow and arrow.
new time
In the extreme southwest of the Oshima Peninsula, in 1604, the feudal principality of Matsumae was established, vassal from the Tokugawa shoguns, in whose possession the entire island was given. It was called Ezo at that time, and its indigenous population was the Ainu, whose conquest by the Japanese lasted more than two centuries. In -1713, according to the questions of the Ainu and the stories of the Japanese, brought by a storm to Kamchatka in 1710, the Cossack Ivan Petrovich Kozyrevsky compiled his description of the island. In the spring of 1779, Russian sailors and fishermen, led by Antipin and Shabalin, headed for the shores of Hokkaido in seven canoes. On June 24 of the same year, they entered Notkomo harbor in the northeast of the island, where they collected yasak from the Ainu living there and actually accepted 1,500 people into Russian citizenship. This fact aroused the indignation of the Japanese. In the autumn of 1792, a Russian expedition led by Adam Laxman visited the north of Hokkaido, although the Japanese forbade the Russians to trade with the Hokkaido Ainu.
In 1868-1869, the Republic of Ezo existed on the island, created by supporters of the shogunate; after the fall of the republic, the island was renamed Hokkaido. In 1869, the Japanese government established the Hokkaido Colonization Office.
Administrative division
Administratively, Hokkaido is divided into 14 districts:
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Literature
- Vasilevsky R. S. In the footsteps of the ancient cultures of Hokkaido. - M .: Nauka, 1981. - 176 p. - (Countries and peoples). - 67,000 copies.
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An excerpt characterizing Hokkaido
Five days later, the young Prince Nikolai Andreevich was baptized. Mammy held the diapers with her chin, while the priest smeared the boy's wrinkled red palms and steps with a goose feather.The godfather, the grandfather, fearing to drop, shuddering, carried the baby around a crumpled tin font and handed it over to the godmother, Princess Marya. Prince Andrei, trembling with fear lest the child be drowned, sat in another room, waiting for the end of the sacrament. He joyfully looked at the child when his nanny carried him out, and nodded his head approvingly when the nanny informed him that the wax with hairs thrown into the font did not sink, but floated along the font.
Rostov's participation in the duel between Dolokhov and Bezukhov was hushed up through the efforts of the old count, and Rostov, instead of being demoted, as he expected, was appointed adjutant to the Moscow governor general. As a result, he could not go to the village with the whole family, but remained at his new position all summer in Moscow. Dolokhov recovered, and Rostov became especially friendly with him at this time of his recovery. Dolokhov lay ill with his mother, who passionately and tenderly loved him. Old Marya Ivanovna, who fell in love with Rostov for his friendship with Fedya, often spoke to him about her son.
“Yes, count, he is too noble and pure in soul,” she used to say, “for our present, corrupted world. No one likes virtue, it pricks everyone's eyes. Well, tell me, Count, is this fair, is it honestly from Bezukhov's side? And Fedya, in his nobility, loved him, and now he never says anything bad about him. In St. Petersburg, these pranks with the quarterly were joking there, because they did it together? Well, nothing to Bezukhov, but Fedya endured everything on his shoulders! After all, what did he endure! Let's say they returned it, but why not return it? I think there were not many brave men and sons of the fatherland like him. Well now - this duel! Do these people have a sense of honor! Knowing that he is the only son, challenge him to a duel and shoot so straight! It's good that God has mercy on us. And for what? Well, who in our time does not have intrigue? Well, if he is so jealous? I understand, because before he could make you feel, otherwise the year went on. And well, he challenged him to a duel, believing that Fedya would not fight, because he owed him. What meanness! That's disgusting! I know you understand Fedya, my dear Count, that's why I love you with my soul, believe me. Few people understand him. This is such a high, heavenly soul!
Dolokhov himself often, during his recovery, spoke to Rostov such words that could not be expected from him. - They consider me an evil person, I know, - he used to say, - and let them. I don't want to know anyone except those whom I love; but whom I love, I love him so that I will give my life, and I will hand over the rest to everyone if they stand on the road. I have an adored, invaluable mother, two or three friends, including you, and I pay attention to the rest only as much as they are useful or harmful. And almost all are harmful, especially women. Yes, my soul, - he continued, - I met men who were loving, noble, exalted; but women, except for corrupt creatures - countesses or cooks, all the same - I have not yet met. I have not yet met that heavenly purity, devotion, which I am looking for in a woman. If I found such a woman, I would give my life for her. And these!…” He made a contemptuous gesture. – And do you believe me, if I still value life, I value it only because I still hope to meet such a heavenly being who would revive, purify and elevate me. But you don't understand it.
“No, I understand very well,” answered Rostov, who was under the influence of his new friend.
In autumn the Rostov family returned to Moscow. At the beginning of winter, Denisov also returned and stopped at the Rostovs. This first time of the winter of 1806, spent by Nikolai Rostov in Moscow, was one of the happiest and most cheerful for him and for his entire family. Nikolai attracted many young people to his parents' house. Vera was twenty years old, a beautiful girl; Sonya is a sixteen-year-old girl in all the beauty of a freshly blossomed flower; Natasha is half young lady, half girl, sometimes childishly funny, sometimes girlishly charming.
At that time, some special atmosphere of love arose in the Rostovs' house, as happens in a house where there are very nice and very young girls. Every young man who came to the Rostovs' house, looking at these young, receptive, for some reason (probably their happiness) smiling, girlish faces, at this lively bustle, listening to this inconsistent, but affectionate to everyone, ready for anything, filled with hope, babble of a woman's young people, listening to these inconsistent sounds, now singing, now music, experienced the same feeling of readiness for love and expectation of happiness that the youth of the Rostov house itself experienced.
Among the young people introduced by Rostov, was one of the first - Dolokhov, who liked everyone in the house, except for Natasha. For Dolokhov, she almost quarreled with her brother. She insisted that he was an evil person, that in a duel with Bezukhov, Pierre was right, and Dolokhov was to blame, that he was unpleasant and unnatural.
“There is nothing for me to understand,” Natasha shouted with stubborn self-will, “he is angry and without feelings. Well, after all, I love your Denisov, he was a carouser, and that’s all, but I still love him, so I understand. I don't know how to tell you; He has everything planned, and I don't like it. Denisova…
“Well, Denisov is another matter,” answered Nikolai, making it feel that even Denisov was nothing in comparison with Dolokhov, “you need to understand what kind of soul this Dolokhov has, you need to see him with his mother, it’s such a heart!
“I don’t know about that, but I’m embarrassed with him. And do you know that he fell in love with Sonya?
- What nonsense ...
- I'm sure you'll see. - Natasha's prediction came true. Dolokhov, who did not like women's society, began to visit the house often, and the question of for whom he traveled was soon (although no one spoke about it) resolved so that he traveled for Sonya. And Sonya, although she would never have dared to say this, knew this, and every time, like a red tan, she blushed at the appearance of Dolokhov.
Dolokhov often dined with the Rostovs, never missed a performance where they were, and attended balls of adolescentes [teenagers] at Iogel, where the Rostovs always visited. He gave priority attention to Sonya and looked at her with such eyes that not only she could not stand this look without paint, but the old countess and Natasha blushed when they noticed this look.
It was evident that this strong, strange man was under the irresistible influence exerted on him by this black, graceful, loving girl.
Rostov noticed something new between Dolokhov and Sonya; but he did not define for himself what kind of new relationship it was. “They are all in love with someone there,” he thought about Sonya and Natasha. But he was not like before, deftly with Sonya and Dolokhov, and he began to be at home less often.
Since the autumn of 1806, everything again started talking about the war with Napoleon with even more fervor than last year. Not only a set of recruits was appointed, but also 9 more warriors out of a thousand. Everywhere they cursed Bonaparte with an anathema, and in Moscow there was only talk about the upcoming war. For the Rostov family, the whole interest of these preparations for the war consisted only in the fact that Nikolushka would never agree to stay in Moscow and waited only for the end of Denisov's vacation in order to go with him to the regiment after the holidays. The impending departure not only did not prevent him from having fun, but also encouraged him to do so. He spent most of his time away from home, at dinners, parties and balls.
XI
On the third day of Christmas, Nikolai dined at home, which in Lately rarely happened to him. It was an official farewell dinner, since he and Denisov were leaving for the regiment after Epiphany. About twenty people dined, including Dolokhov and Denisov.
Never in the house of the Rostovs did the air of love, the atmosphere of love, make themselves felt with such force as on these days of holidays. “Catch moments of happiness, force yourself to love, fall in love yourself! Only this one thing is real in the world - the rest is all nonsense. And this is the only thing we are busy with here,” this atmosphere said. Nikolay, as always, having tortured two pairs of horses and even then without having time to visit all the places where he needed to be and where he was called, arrived home just before dinner. As soon as he entered, he noticed and felt the tension of the loving atmosphere in the house, but in addition he noticed a strange confusion reigning between some of the members of the society. Sonya, Dolokhov, the old countess, and a little Natasha were especially excited. Nikolay realized that something had to happen before dinner between Sonya and Dolokhov, and with his characteristic tenderness of heart, he was very gentle and cautious, during dinner, in dealing with both of them. On the same evening of the third day of the holidays, there was to be one of those balls at Yogel's (dance teacher), which he gave on holidays for all his students.
- Nikolenka, are you going to Yogel? Please, go, - Natasha told him, - he especially asked you, and Vasily Dmitritch (it was Denisov) is going.
“Where I don’t go on the orders of Mr. Afini!” said Denisov, who jokingly put himself in the Rostovs’ house on the foot of the knight Natasha, “pas de chale [dance with a shawl] is ready to dance.
- If I can! I promised the Arkharovs, they have an evening, - said Nikolai.
For a change, Russia may demand Hokkaido from the Japanese.
No sooner had Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Japan come to an end than Tokyo took up its old ways and again raised the issue of belonging to the Kuril Islands. And he did it in a sharper, more radical format, mentioning the island of Sakhalin in the context. Russia's willingness to compromise on the territorial issue was seen as a weakness, and therefore a pretext for attacking actions on the diplomatic front. Adding to the heat of the debate is the imminent election, in which incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expects to win with a tough stance. Russia, although deploying an additional military contingent in the disputed territories, is more likely to lose politically, remaining on the defensive. A way out of the situation could be a symmetrical demand - the question of the ownership of the island of Hokkaido, where subjects of the Russian Empire once lived.
Retired diplomat Yoshike Mine spoke in detail about the views of the Japanese political establishment on the problem of settling the so-called "northern territories" in an interview with the influential publication Toyo Keizai. According to him, the problem has two levels. “In a narrow sense, the issue of the ‘Northern Territories’ refers to four islands. In a broader sense, to Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands,” Mine noted. At the same time, he gave the Japanese name for Sakhalin - Karafuto. At the same time, the diplomat made a reservation that in the discussions in the parliament, the Japanese government is talking about only four islands: Habomai, Shikotan, Kunashir and Iturup. Mine also recalled that Russia had already declared its readiness to return Habomai and Shikotan. That is, the Japanese consider the transfer of the two southern islands a matter of principle decided. Wider territorial claims, including Sakhalin, is their maximum task.
The fact that such speeches are made by a non-acting civil servant does not mean at all that his words should not be given importance. In the Western political tradition, it is considered normal to give odious ideas to formally inactive, but authoritative politicians. They are used as an element of pressure in negotiations and a subject for political bargaining. Let us recall the numerous foreign policy missions of Carter or Kissinger. The defeated Japanese learn from the winners - the Yankees. Arguing his position in an interview with references to historical treaties and post-war diplomatic conflicts, Mine seeks to create the impression that Russia has no right to the South Kuriles and, in conclusion, appeals to the United States as an external force, calling for Japan and Russia to intervene in bilateral negotiations.
At first glance, the position of our Foreign Ministry is impeccable: the continuation of negotiations on the islands is possible only after Japan recognizes the results of the Second World War - Russian sovereignty over the "disputed territories" and the signing of a peace treaty. That is, “money in the morning - chairs in the evening”, and not vice versa. Although the transfer of Japan (suppose!) the two southern islands, albeit as a gesture of goodwill, is unlikely to find understanding among the Russians. Even if the notorious peace treaty is signed. The Japanese, however, are not satisfied with this, largely one-sided, option. Realizing this on the eve of his visit, Sergei Lavrov said that official Moscow demands clarity from Tokyo on this issue. However, the recent remark of the Russian President, told to journalists after a straight line that “a compromise can and will be found someday”, seems to have once again inspired the politicians of the Land of the Rising Sun. Kommersant's sources at the Russian embassy in Tokyo also say the same.
Diplomatic games are taking place against the backdrop of Russia strengthening its defense capabilities in the region. Earlier it was reported that the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation will deploy coastal missile systems "Bal" and "Bastion" in the Kuril Islands, as well as a group of new generation drones. This will happen as part of the planned rearmament of formations and military units stationed here. In addition, in April sailors Pacific Fleet will go on a three-month expedition to the islands of the Greater Kuril chain. The statement by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that the strengthening of the Russian military infrastructure in the southern Kuril Islands "would be incompatible with the position of Japan" looks harsh and leaves no room for compromise. Deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation added fuel to the fire, proposing to use the image of the disputed islands on the new banknote introduced by the Central Bank. Obviously, in the case of such a fixing of the symbol, there can be no question of any transfer of the islands.
Meanwhile, all these measures are more of a technical nature. Yes, the islands will be reliably protected, but once the USSR was not a weak power from a military point of view, but capitulated as soon as the weak General Secretary Gorbachev was at the helm, subject to influence. To consolidate the parity and assert its position, Russia would be helped by some kind of symmetrical demand on Japan of a political nature, which would balance the claims of Tokyo. And most importantly, it could be removed only in response to the withdrawn demands of the Japanese. Such a requirement could be the issue of the territorial belonging of the island of Hokkaido. Once the USSR intended to seize it from Japan, defeated in the war, but the resistance of US President Harry Truman prevented. There are historical arguments justifying Russia's claims to the island.
Hokkaido is a Russian island
At the moment, the Japanese side is appealing to the Shimoda Treaty of 1855. However, if we take previous events as a basis, the situation ceases to be ambiguous. Thus, the Spatial Land Description of the Russian State, compiled under Catherine II, included not only all the Kuril Islands, but also Hokkaido in the Russian Empire. The reason is that ethnic Japanese at that time did not even populate it. The indigenous population - the Ainu - following the results of the expedition of Antipin and Shabalin, were recorded as Russian subjects. They fought with the Japanese not only in the south of Hokkaido, but also in the northern part of the island of Honshu. The Cossacks themselves explored and taxed the Kuriles in the 17th century.
The fact of Russian citizenship of the inhabitants of Hokkaido was noted in a letter from Alexander I to the Japanese emperor in 1803. Moreover, this did not cause any objections from the Japanese side, let alone official protest. Hokkaido for Tokyo was a foreign territory like Korea. When the first Japanese arrived on the island in 1786, the Ainu came out to meet them, bearing Russian names and surnames. And what's more - Orthodox! Japan's first claims to Sakhalin date back only to 1845. Then Emperor Nicholas I immediately gave a diplomatic rebuff. Only the weakening of Russia in the following decades led to the occupation of the southern part of Sakhalin by the Japanese. It is interesting that the Bolsheviks in 1925 condemned the former government, which had given Russian lands to Japan.
So in 1945, historical justice was only restored. The army and navy of the USSR resolved the Russo-Japanese territorial issue by force. Khrushchev in 1956 signed the Joint Declaration of the USSR and Japan, article 9 of which read: "The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, meeting the wishes of Japan and taking into account the interests of the Japanese state, agrees to the transfer of the Habomai Islands and the Shikotan Islands to Japan, however, that the actual transfer of these islands to Japan will be made after the conclusion of the Peace Treaty between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Japan. That is, now our Foreign Ministry proposes to do exactly what is recorded in Khrushchev's declaration.
There is, however, some difference. Khrushchev's goal was the demilitarization of Japan. He was ready to sacrifice a couple of islands in order to remove American military bases from the Soviet Far East. Now, obviously, we are no longer talking about demilitarization. Washington clung to his "unsinkable aircraft carrier" with a stranglehold. Moreover, Tokyo's dependence on the United States has even increased. Abe's visit to Russia has just been canceled precisely because of pressure from Washington, as told by the head of the information department of the Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova. Well, if so, then the gratuitous transfer as a “goodwill gesture” loses its attractiveness. It is reasonable not to follow Khrushchev's declaration, but to put forward symmetrical claims based on well-known historical facts. Shaking ancient scrolls and manuscripts, which is normal and practice in such cases.
An insistence on giving up Hokkaido would be a cold shower for Tokyo. I would have to argue in the negotiations not about Sakhalin or even about the Kuriles, but about my own this moment territory. I would have to defend myself, justify myself, prove my right. Russia from diplomatic defense would thus go over to the offensive. You can also remember the opinion of the people and hold a referendum, or at least a VTsIOM poll on whether people agree with Nikita Khrushchev's decision to "meet the wishes of Japan and take into account the interests of the Japanese state." Our peasant people, for the most part, feel unmistakably that the land must never be given away. The answer is a categorical "no". The Russia Today TV channel and the Sputnik agency will inform the world about the will of the Russians.
If official state structures cannot start such a campaign for diplomatic reasons, one of the informal patriotic organizations can do it. The state will support the initiative. This is how Americans sometimes act, calling it a public-private partnership. Why is Russia worse? To permanently remove the problem of belonging to the Kuril Islands, having previously "trolled" Tokyo with media and diplomatic attacks, is a worthy task for such a practice. The slogan of the campaign could be the words: "Hokkaido is a Russian island!".
The second largest island in Japan, Hokkaido, on the one hand, is a typical Japanese region, where a person lives in peace with the surrounding nature, while developing traditional crafts and high technologies. At the same time, Hokkaido is exotic in its own way - its territories are located in the very north of Japan, and therefore winters are snowy here, and the sun shines through on average seventeen days a year. In addition, the island formed the first within Japan, albeit a short-lived, democratic state.
LAND OF THE AINU
The Ainu people lived in Hokkaido for thousands of years, who later had to fight the Japanese for the right to live in their native lands.
The original settlement of the Japanese island of Hokkaido occurred about twenty thousand years ago. Then the Ainu lived here - one of the most ancient peoples of the Japanese islands. However, the history of the development of Hokkaido still holds many mysteries: after all, the first mention of the island, known to scientists today, appeared on the pages of the Japanese written monument “Hon Seki”, dated to the eighth century. There is a widespread theory that according to it, the island of Watarishima, which is referred to in the annals, is Hokkaido, which was named so only in 1869.
The locals were engaged in hunting and fishing, and trade relations with other islands allowed them to provide themselves with rice. The Ainu also bought iron from their neighbors.
However, their peaceful life was destined to end in the XIV-XV centuries, when the Japanese began to expand their spheres of influence. Gradually, they began to populate the Oshima Peninsula, located in the southwest of Hokkaido, which was aggressively perceived by the Ainu. The tension in relations between the peoples grew into a war, which ended in 1475 with the death of the leader of the Ainu. Japanese warriors did not seize the possessions of the vanquished, but received privileged rights to trade with the indigenous inhabitants of the island.
During the heyday of the Matsumae principality, whose main territories were located on the island of Oshima, Hokkaido became part of the possessions of local rulers. From that moment on, the long-term struggle between the Japanese, who claimed their rights to the territories, and the indigenous inhabitants of the lands flared up with renewed vigor on the island. Ainu uprisings took place until the second half of the 18th century, but they did not bring any results: in the face of a possible Russian attack from the west, the Japanese confidently held a strategically important island.
During the year (1868/1869), when Japan was engulfed in the Boshin War (a conflict between supporters of the feudal government under the leadership of the Tokugawa dynasty and representatives of the movement in support of the imperial power), the independent Republic of Ezo existed on the island of Hokkaido. It was proclaimed after the military defeat of the Tokugawa forces: thousands of military men moved to Hokkaido, who, as a result of the first elections in Japanese history, elected the head of the new republic, Admiral Enomoto Takeaki.
However, the emperor did not tolerate arbitrariness in his territories for long, and on March 20, 1869, a navy was sent to the shores of the island. The battle that followed soon was resolved not in favor of the fleeing warriors: the Ezo Republic was abolished, and its president was sentenced to serving a prison term.
In 1882, Hokkaido was divided into three prefectures: Hakodate, Sapporo, and Nemuro. Four years later, the island was merged into one prefecture, which by 1947 was equal to other Japanese prefectures.
A difficult test for Hokkaido has become last years Second World War. In 1945, its territories were bombed, as a result of which more than seventy cities and villages were badly damaged.
Hokkaido is located much to the north of the rest of Japan, which causes sharp differences in climatic conditions. This is especially noticeable during a cold and snowy winter: in the north of the island, water transport stops due to strong winds and the danger of floating ice in the Sea of Okhotsk.
GOLDEN MEAN
The inhabitants of Hokkaido manage to harmoniously combine the development of industry and agriculture with the work of preserving the nature of the island.
Hokkaido is located in the north of Japan, and its shores face the Japanese and Seas of Okhotsk as well as to the Pacific Ocean. On the Nemuro Peninsula - the Hokkaido region - there is the easternmost point of Japan, Cape Nosappu-Saki. In terms of area, the island ranks 21st in the world, and in terms of population - 20th (however, in recent years, Hokkaido has faced serious problems of depopulation).
Approximately half of the territory of the island is occupied mountain ranges, which stretch along the central axis of Hokkaido from north to south, while coastal lands are predominantly plains.
Huge spaces (more than 70%) on the island of Hokkaido are occupied by forests. Many forested areas are under state protection: there are six national parks, five quasi-national parks, and twelve prefectural natural parks. Their total area is approximately 10% of the area of Hokkaido.
The climate in Hokkaido is humid continental and has slightly cooler temperatures throughout the year than other parts of Japan. Winters here are long, cold and snowy, but in summer the island does not experience the usual heat for Japanese lands, and therefore, in the summer, the popularity of Hokkaido cities among Japanese tourists from other prefectures increases. True, according to rough estimates, there are only about seventeen sunny days a year in Hokkaido, while there are about 272 snowy and rainy days a year.
However, special weather do not interfere with the inhabitants of Hokkaido to engage in agriculture, moreover, quite successfully. Soybeans, potatoes, carrots, onions and cereals are grown on the lands of the island. The traditional crop for Japanese plantations - rice - is practically not cultivated here.
In general, the island of Hokkaido plays an important role in the Japanese economy. Along with agriculture, a developed industry has been built on the island. Iron ore and coal are mined here, equipment is produced (including for nuclear power plants). Traditionally, the coastal cities of the prefecture also serve as a source of fresh fish (especially salmon) and seafood for neighboring lands. Despite the large number of vacancies offered in industrial companies, most local residents work in the service sector (this sector accounts for about three-quarters of Hokkaido's GDP). Import volumes here significantly exceed export volumes.
From a legal point of view, the island of Hokkaido is part of the territories of the prefecture of the same name. It also includes the small islands of Rishiri, Okusuri and Rebun. In addition, according to the Japanese authorities, the prefecture also includes some islands of the Kuril Islands group.
The largest city of the island is Sapporo, located in the west of Hokkaido and is the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name. It is also the fifth largest city in all of Japan. Numerous industrial enterprises are concentrated here, including those specializing in the field of high technologies, the food industry, and paper production. Sapporo is also a popular resort. There are many hot springs on the island, which contributes to the development of tourism.
CURIOUS FACTS
■ Since 1859, the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church has been operating in Sapporo, with the help of which one of the oldest in Japan was erected Orthodox churches- Church of the Resurrection. Since 1983, it has been listed as a cultural heritage of Japan.
■ In addition to earthquakes, Hokkaido is also threatened by volcanic eruptions: there are five active volcanoes on the island.
■ Hokkaido is roughly the size of Austria.
■ Sapporo is famous for the annual Snow Festival. It was first held in 1950, and then it was a small exhibition of snow figures created by amateurs. However, the scale grew over time, and now the festival is held simultaneously on three sites, professional sculptors and beginners take part in it on an equal footing.
■ There are many hot springs in Hokkaido. The most interesting of them is Jigokudani, or Hell Valley. The area received such an ominous name because of the numerous geysers periodically soaring above the ground. Great lovers of swimming in the geothermal waters of local sources are Japanese macaques. Here they can often be found in winter.
■ The Ainu, who once made up the main population of the island of Hokkaido, formerly also lived in the territories of Russia, in particular in the south of Kamchatka, on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. A distinctive feature of the Ainu is their European appearance. Today, about thirty thousand descendants of the Ainu live in Japan, but over many centuries they managed to assimilate with the Japanese.
ATTRACTIONS
■ Sapporo: The Sapporo Clock Tower is one of the few remaining buildings in Hokkaido from the late 19th century. in the American colonial style; Odori Boulevard - one of the central streets of the city; Botanical Garden - he retained part of the forest that grew on the site of Sapporo; television tower (147 m) Sapporo; Nakajima park; Mount Moiwa - 8 km from Sapporo; Beer Museum (former sugar factory);
■ Hakodate: Five-bastion fortress (1864); Church of the Resurrection of the Lord; Koryuji Monastery; Higashi-Honganji Monastery, Momomachi Catholic Church;
■ National parks:
Akan, Shiretoko, Kushiro-Shitsugen, Taiseiuzan, Shikotsu-Toya, Rishiri-Rebun;
■ Quasi-national parks: Onuma, Abashiri, Hidaka;
■ Akkeshi Prefectural Nature Park.
Atlas. The whole world is in your hands #92
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The story of the confiscation of deposits in Cyprus had unexpected consequences for a completely different island. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev suggested that Russia create its own offshore on Far East, and billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov went even further - in his opinion, our country needs sign a peace treaty with Japan in exchange for turning the Kuriles into a joint economic zone. So, in which the topic of belonging to the Kuril Islands has already been raised ...
In fact, Russian society has long given its answer about the southern Kuriles - to understand this, it is enough to compare in public opinion polls the ratings of the one who returned the Kuriles to Russia and those statesmen who promised to "return" them to the Japanese.
Concretely, Comrade Stalin took the Kuriles physically and roughly. Khrushchev promised to transfer the two southern islands of the Kuril chain to the Japanese sometime in the future. It is enough to compare the attitude in Russia towards these two characters to make everything clear. Even in the Memorial society, in the editorial office of Novaya Gazeta and in the kitchen of Novodvorskaya, no one will dare to assert that the rating of Iosif Vissarionovich in Russian society is lower than that of Nikita Sergeevich ...
But they will say - what do ratings and public opinion polls have to do with it, if we are talking about specific agreements between states and international law? But in the specific case with the two islands of the southern Kuriles (or "northern territories" in Japanese), public opinion is just very much at that. To understand this clearly, let us briefly consider the history of the issue.
Until 1945, the history of the state borders of Russia and Japan was different. Let me remind you that under Empress Catherine II, in St. Petersburg, when they did the so-called “Spatial Land Description of the Russian State”, in general, not only all the Kuriles, but also the island of Hokkaido were included in the empire. At that time, the Japanese not only did not populate it, but did not even control it, fighting with the indigenous population in the south of Hokkaido and in the north of even more southern Honshu. As a result of the expedition of Ivan Antipin and Dmitry Shabalin in 1778-79, the local natives, the Ainu, who lived in the north of Hokkaido, were considered subjects of the Russian Empire. The Kuriles themselves were explored and taxed by Russian Cossacks a century earlier, back in the middle of the 17th century.
Alexander I, in his letter to the Japanese emperor dated July 30, 1803, called the inhabitants of the Kuril Islands "his subjects", which at that time did not cause any objection from the Japanese side, let alone official protest. Until the end of the 18th century, Japan showed no interest in either Sakhalin or the Kuril Islands. Even the island of Hokkaido was officially considered a foreign territory in Japan, such as, for example, Korea. The first Japanese who arrived in Kunashir and Iturup in 1786 met local residents there who bore Russian names and surnames. These were the descendants of those Ainu who accepted Orthodoxy and Russian citizenship in the first half of the 18th century.
As you can see, if we take the long history of the development of this region by Russia and Japan, then we can easily lay claim not only to all the Kuriles, but also to the north of Hokkaido. And it’s beautiful and snowy there, just like in Siberia - Japanese macaques bask in winter in thermal springs, amusingly brushing snow off their heads. In order to avoid accusations of extremism and ethnic strife, I clarify that Japanese macaques are not citizens of Japan, namely “macaca fuscata”, primates from the marmoset family ...
Japan officially announced its claims to the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin only in 1845. That immediately caused an official objection from Emperor Nicholas I. However, after the defeat in the Crimean War, a weakened Russia was forced to cede the southern part of the Kuriles to the Japanese. Then there was a defeat in the war with Japan itself, when in 1905 Russia also lost southern Sakhalin.
By the way, the Bolsheviks, concluding an agreement on diplomatic relations with the Japanese in 1925, made an official reservation that, recognizing the actual borders established by force, they condemn the former tsarist government, which gave Russian lands to Japan.
By August 1945, the borders of the "Land of the Rising Sun" covered both southern Sakhalin and all the Kuriles, and even both of today's Koreas, southern and northern. But this Japanese luxury was canceled by the results of the Second World War. It is symbolic that this happened exactly 100 years after Tokyo first announced official claims to Russian lands. The troops of the USSR solved the Russian-Japanese territorial issue by force. Let's not be hypocritical - the right of force has always and everywhere been a direct and honest basis for the cunning legal casuistry of international law.
Since 1945, all previous rights and claims have been nullified - from now on they are of interest only from the point of view of the science of history. The countdown, thanks to Comrade Stalin, started anew.
Since then, Japanese claims have had only one basis and pretext - this is the so-called "Joint Declaration of the USSR and Japan" of October 19, 1956. With this document, following the results of negotiations between the Japanese delegation and Khrushchev, the Soviet Union and Japan officially announced the end of the state of war and restored diplomatic relations, interrupted in 1945.
Article 9 of this document reads: “The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, meeting the wishes of Japan and taking into account the interests of the Japanese state, agrees to the transfer of the Habomai Islands and the Shikotan Islands to Japan, however, that the actual transfer of these islands to Japan will be made after the conclusion of the Peace Treaty between the Union Soviet Socialist Republics and Japan.
We will not delve into the brain convolutions of Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, who in such an intricate way tried to induce the Japanese to oppose American military bases on their territory. In the context of global Soviet-American rivalry with the threat of nuclear war, Khrushchev and the company considered that the two southernmost Kuril Islands were worth eliminating the American military bases in Japan that threatened the USSR. That is why the transfer of the two islands was planned only after the signing of the official Peace Treaty. They were already going to sign such an agreement with Japan, in which there is no US military presence.
But the gentlemen from Washington were in no hurry (and, by the way, are still in no hurry) to give up their rights won in 1945. The US military and American atomic weapons have not left Japan, and Okinawa is still operating as the unsinkable aircraft carrier of the USA Army. In response, the USSR was in no hurry to sign a peace treaty with Tokyo.
Since then, we have been living happily and living in a state of "no peace, no war." The Japanese, based on the "Joint Declaration" of 1956, periodically state their claims. And here it is time to consider what this declaration is from the point of view of the very international law that guides states in peacetime.
The "Joint Declaration" is not a Peace Treaty - this is expressly stated in its text. The USSR generally referred this document not to international treaties, but to documents of a lower kind - it is not by chance that the declaration was officially published not in a collection of international treaties, but in the collection “Declarations, statements and communiqués of the Soviet government with the governments of foreign states”.
What is important, this declaration was concluded long before the USSR and Japan recognized the UN Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969. This convention prescribes that international agreements cannot be terminated and changed unilaterally without mutual consent.
However, Khrushchev's 1956 declaration does not fall within the scope of these norms. Moreover, let's take a closer look at the basis on which this document speaks of the possibility of transferring the two islands to the Japanese. There is only one reason: the good will of the USSR, which, "meeting the wishes of Japan and taking into account the interests of the Japanese state, agrees to ..."
Yes, the Russian Federation is the legal successor of the USSR, including according to this declaration. Continuity in this particular issue was confirmed in 1992 at the request of Japan by the Yeltsin government, which had high hopes for Japanese loans and "investments." It is not worth reminding what public ratings Mr. Yeltsin had both during his lifetime and after his death... we inherited not only duties, but also rights, including those under this Declaration of 1956.
So, again, from the point of view of the current norms of international law, nothing obliges us to always meet the wishes and always take into account the interests of another state. It is precisely our right to go and take into account (or not go and not take into account). In 1956, for some reason, they went and took into account - but the Japanese were then afraid to conflict with the United States because of military bases and did not take advantage of this generous gesture of the USSR.
Almost sixty years later, in the new century, nothing but good will obliges us to forever show our generosity and endlessly prolong precisely Article 9 of the Joint Declaration of the USSR and Japan. The Russian Foreign Ministry has every right to notify Tokyo even today that Russia no longer finds a desire "to meet the wishes of Japan and take into account the interests of the Japanese state in relation to the Habomai Islands and Shikotan Island." No norms of international law prevent this.
And to increase pressure on Tokyo, you can remember the maps of the times of Catherine II. Shaking ancient scrolls and manuscripts is normal and common practice in such matters. And the indignant public of Russia, in response to Japanese claims, could well have voiced the slogan “Hokkaido is a Russian island!”. At the same time, it is worth recalling to the Japanese the actual genocide of the Ainu. It is in official diplomacy that one should be prim and restrained, always with a tie, but in “people's” diplomacy, the more radical the shirt tear on the chest, the better. . And this is the right tactic. Indeed, in such disputes, the old rule works especially well - the best defense is an offensive ...
The modern government of the Russian Federation will never do such a thing, and not because it does not have the strength and means, but only because of the lack of political will. For Mr. Putin's government, issues of Russian borders and lands, unlike business issues, are not a priority. They will defend their business and their power bloodily and zealously, and the issues of our borders are secondary for them.
Any other Russian government, different in character from the governments of Yeltsin and Putin, is able to remove the issue of "disputed" territories from current politics within one working day.
And in order for everything to be completely within the framework of the UN norms generally accepted today, it is enough to hold a referendum in the Russian Federation on whether the multinational people agree today Russian Federation with the decision of Nikita Khrushchev "to meet the wishes of Japan and take into account the interests of the Japanese state." Given the ratings of Khrushchev and Stalin, the answer is obvious.
There will be nothing to object to such a decision within the framework of the norms of international law in Japan. Only the right of force will remain. But for now, the islands are ours and by this right, the right of the winner.