Press Conference: The Northern Territories and their Former Residents 80 Years After War's End

PRESS CONFERENCE
80th Anniversary of World War II Series

The Northern Territories and their Former Residents 80 Years After War's End
Yuzo Matsumoto, Director of the Association of Residents of Chishima and Habomai Islands

11:00-12:00 Monday, July 7, 2025
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.

Residents of the Northern Territories were forced to leave their homes when the Soviet Union invaded islands claimed by Japan off the coast of Hokkaido in the last days of the Second World War. Ever since, the former residents have struggled to visit ancestral graves on Kunashiri, Etorofu, Habomai, and Shikotan. Russia has not permitted any visits, and time is now running out for the increasingly elderly former islanders.

This year, Hokkaido Prefecture announced that between July 20th and August 21st, it will dispatch ships from the eastern port of Nemuro on seven occasions, giving former residents and their families the chance to conduct on-board memorial services near the islands.

Please join the FCCJ as Yuzo Matsumoto, director of the main association of former islanders, discusses their ongoing plight—80 years after the end of the war.

How to attend: 
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Doors open 15 minutes before the event.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live  

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/DZ6UnsSLHimJ77Lb6      　

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.

Professional Activities Committee