The Complete Story of the Missing "Return of the Four Islands": Abe Vs. Putin: The Truth Behind the Northern Territories Negotiations

Winner of the 2022 Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association Award, JCJ Award, and Waseda Journalism Award Encouragement Award

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine by the Putin regime, Japan-Russia relations reached an all-time low. Former Prime Minister Shinzō was assassinated. "Aiming for 100 points in diplomacy is meaningless if you get a zero." In an exclusive interview with the Hokkaido Shimbun Press, Abe spoke for the first time about his major shift in negotiations over the Northern Territories from "return of all four islands" to "return of two islands." What did he believe in, and why did they stall? This comprehensive edition delves into the truth behind Japan-Russia diplomacy over the past decade since the Abe administration, with extensive additions to the response to the Ukraine crisis eight years ago—the seed of the current war—as well as the rivalry between Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Abe, the situation in Russia leading up to the invasion, and its impact on Japan-Russia relations.