Japan for the first time in 19 years called the Kuril Islands ''illegally occupied''

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in its “Blue Book of Diplomacy” named for the first time since 2003 Kurile Islands “illegally occupied” territory. It is reported Kyodo and NHK with reference to a document presented on April 22 at a meeting of the country’s cabinet of ministers.

The updated version of the book also included the wording that the islands are “an integral part of Japan.” As Kyodo notes, such a description has been missing from the document since 2011.