World War Two never ends
17 August 2006Although I was aware of the trivia of Germany’s actual post-hostility re-constitution as a non-occupied state, I was unaware that for Japan and (now) Russia WW2 has never ended.
The four islands — called the Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan — were seized by the Soviet army near World War II’s end. Tokyo has demanded their return, and the dispute has blocked a treaty formally ending wartime hostilities.
Today it is reported that the Russian Navy opened fire on a Japanese fishing vessel and killed one Mitsuhiro Morita, a 35 year old fisherman.
