Abstract
This master paper, titled “Territorial dispute between Japan and Russia over sovereignty of the South Kuril Islands”, deals with Japanese and Russian claims over what is known as the South Kuril Islands or the Northern Territories. Since 1950s Japan has been questioning the rights of Soviet Union, now Russian Federation, to Kunashir, Iturup, the Shikotan islands and the Habomai rocks, acquired by Russia as a result of World War II. In consequence of the dispute, diplomatic and economic relations between the countries steadily remain at a low level. Despite the fact that the value of the islands is not high and mutual relations could yield con-siderable benefits to Japan as well as to Russia, neither of the countries seems willing to give in.
The main goals of this paper are: (1) to aggregate and sum up official and unofficial opinions of both parties and to find the principles and methods which they employ in order to solve the issue, (2) to answer the question: “Why for 60 years are Russia and Japan unable to resolve the conflict and sign a peace treaty?” and (3) to find out the conditions in which such a treaty could be signed.
The conclusions of this paper as follows. (1) The reasons of the dispute are: (a) historical differences between Japan and Russia which make them interpret historical events in their own ways, (b) political distance between the two countries, remaining there despite the fact that the Cold War is over, (c) low value of the islands and lack of urgency to engage in economic relations, (d) internal policies of Japan and Russia, which advocate patriotism and a sense of national identity. (2) Territorial dispute could be solved if Japan and Russia would agree on basic principles of resolving the issue and refer the matter to a neutral organization; however, the development of the dispute shows that it will not be resolved in the near future.
Keywords: Kuril Islands dispute, South Kuril Islands, Northern Territories
論文要旨
この修士論文は「南千島の主権をめぐる日ロ間の領土問題」という題名で、「南千島列島」や「北方領土」として知られている四島に対する領有権問題を取り扱っている。第二次世界大戦後、現在に至るまで、ソ連・ロシア連邦に占領・実効支配されており、日本は固有の領土としてその返還を求めている。この問題の結果、両国間の経済・外交関係は悪い状態にあり続けている。四島の価値が低く、相互関係が築ければ両国にとってかなり有益になれるにもかかわらず、ロシアと日本のどちらも屈服する意思があるまい。
本書の目的は: ① 両国の公式と非公式の見解を要約して、両国が採用している紛争を解決する方式を見つけること ② 「なぜ60年以上の間ロシアと日本は問題を解決して平和条約が締結できないか」という質問に答えること ③ 平和条約が締結できる状態を見つけることだ。
本書の結論は以下の通りだ。① 問題の理由は: ⓐ 歴史上の出来事を別に解釈させる両国の歴史的違い ⓑ 冷戦がもう終わったにもかかわらずまだ長い政治的距離 ⓒ 四島の低い価値や経済関係を築く必要がないこと ⓓ 愛国心と国家的同一性を唱道する両国の国内政策だ。 ② ロシアと日本が問題解決の基本原則に関して合意に達して、紛争を中立的機関に付せば、領土問題は解決できるかもしれない。しかし紛争の経緯を見ると、いずれ近いうちにこれは解決されないだろうとわかる。
キーワード：北方領土問題、南千島、北方領土