Video Gallery

Ms. Himeri Yonaha

Third-year student of Miyakojima City Kita Junior High School (Okinawa Prefecture)

Ms. Haruka Nishi

Third-year student of Karatsu City Kakara Junior High School (Saga Prefecture)

Ms. Saya Tsuchimoto

Third-year student of Kusatsu City Kusatsu Junior High School (Shiga Prefecture)

Ms. Haruka Nishi

Second-year student of Karatsu City Kakara Junior High School (Saga Prefecture)

Ms. Himeka Kondo

Third-year student of Nemuro City Koyo Junior High School (Hokkaido)

Ms. Kotomi Nakajima

Third-year student of Miyaki Town Kitashigeyasu Junior High School (Saga Prefecture)

Mr. Taisei Yamaguchi

Ms. Haruka Nishi

Ms. Kako Kusakabe

Ms. Riko Tsukayama

Ms. Ayano Kaji

Mr. Kousei Nakashita

Erika-chan wakes up fresh in the morning. As usual, she flies around the four islands. The sun sets. Good night.

Erika-chan teaches about the Northern Territories.

Erika-chan dreams of being a cute weather reporter.
Today, I'll outline the climate of the Northern Territories. The Kurile cherry is the official flower of the Campaign for the Return of the Northern Territories, and the tree usually bears beautiful pale-pink flowers in mid to late May in Nemuro, Hokkaido.

Erika-chan dreams of being a newscaster.
Today, I'll outline the Bridge to the Four Islands at Cape Nosappu in Nemuro.

Erika-chan dreams of being a cute sushi chef.
Today, I made sushi rolls of Pacific saury from Nemuro, Hokkaido.

Erika-chan dreams of being a cute florist.
Today, I'll outline the beautiful flowers on the Northern Territories.

Erika-chan loves the Northern Territories, which are seen from her window. The room of Erika-chan, who loves the Northern Territories, is open to the public.

Today, four friends have gathered at Erika-chan's house.
They show Erika-chan the photos they've taken.
I’m excited!

Erika-chan is visiting Kunashiri Island at the invitation of her friend Erio-kun.
I'll take lots of nice photos on Kunashiri Island!

She's gone to Etorofu Island to visit her friend Erimaru-kun.
I learned about the island’s history and lifestyle, and enjoyed a delicious full-course salmon meal.

Erika-chan visited Shikotan Island at the invitation of her friend Eriyoshi-kun. Finally, I encountered birds amidst beautiful scenery!

Erika-chan visited the Habomai Island at the invitation of her friend Erina-chan. I took lots of photos of the beautiful Habomai Islands and their great natural splendor.

Erika-chan has finished taking photos of the four northern islands with the guidance of her friends.
We had a party with food from the four islands!

This is a digest version of a promotional video of the Northern Territories. The natural splendor of the Northern Territories is depicted through computer graphics.

This video with commentary introduces the Northern Territories, which can be seen from Cape Nosappu in Nemuro, Hokkaido, as well as provides an inside look at Hoppo-kan (Northern Museum) and Bokyo-no-Ie (Northern Territories Folk Museum) .

This video showcases lectures on the Northern Territories issue and other topics by students belonging to the Northern Territories Nemuro Study Group at Hokkaido Nemuro High School .

This is the digest version of a video for elementary and junior high school students to learn about the Northern Territories. It explains the geography and history of the Northern Territories in an easy-to-understand manner.

This video explains the Northern Territories issue and the irredentist movement.

This video explains the islands of the Northern Territories based on images seen from Hoppo-kan (Northern Museum) in Nemuro.

This is a promotional video of the Northern Territories (2 min.). The natural splendor of the Northern Territories is depicted by computer graphics.

This is a video for elementary and junior high school students to learn about the Northern Territories. It explains the geography and history of the Northern Territories in an easy-to-understand manner.

This video introduces the Campaign for the Return of the Northern Territories in detail, including its history and nationwide initiatives as well as efforts to involve young people who can take it forward.

This is a digest version of Initiatives of the Campaign for the Return of the Northern Territories, which introduces the campaign in detail, including its history and nationwide activities as well as efforts to involve young people who can take it forward.

This video explains the Northern Territories issue and the irredentist movement.

This is a digest version of interviews with former residents of the four northern islands.

Interview details

• Island memories
• Soviet occupation
• Escape
• Life under occupation
• Repatriation
• Thoughts for the island

Born in 1935 (age 10 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Repatriation

Born in 1937 (age 8 at the end of the war)

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• Soviet occupation
• Repatriation

Born in 1928 (age 17 at the end of the war)

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• Soviet occupation
• Repatriation in 1947

Born in 1934 (age 11 at the end of the war)

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• Soviet occupation
• Under occupation
• Repatriation

Born in 1929 (age 16 at the end of the war)

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• At the end of the war
• Etorofu Island before the end of the war
• Revisiting the island
• Thoughts for return

Born in 1938 (age 6 at the end of the war)

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• Children’s fun at that time
• Soviet occupation
• Repatriation

Born in 1929 (age 16 at the end of the war)

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• Shibetoro Village
• Childhood memories
• Scenery of Etorofu Island
• Memories at the end of the war
• Repatriation of villagers and families
• Life after repatriation
• Visiting Etorofu Island

Born in 1934 (age 10 at the end of the war)

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• The Great East Japan Earthquake and repatriation
• Life after repatriation
• The irredentist movement

Born in 1939 (age 6 at the end of the war)

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• Children’s fun on the island
• Soviet occupation
• Escape from the island

Born in 1925 (age 19 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Soviet occupation
• Escape from the island

Born in 1930 (age 15 at the end of the war)

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• Family business on Shibotsu Island
• Childhood memories
• Life on the island
• Memories during the war
• Soviet landing, and escape
• Visiting Shibotsu Island

Born in 1934 (age 11 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Life on Shibotsu Island
• Connection between islanders
• End of the war and escape from the island
• Life after repatriation

Born in 1937 (age 8 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Life on Yuri Island
• Childhood memories
• Memories of the Nemuro air raid
• End of the war, and the Soviet landing
• Escape from the island
• Regrettable repatriation

Born in 1938 (age 7 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Family business on Shibotsu Island
• Childhood memories
• Memories of the war
• Visiting Shibotsu Island

Born in 1933 (age 11 at the end of the war)

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• Childhood memories
• End of the war, and the Soviet landing
• Life at the camp
• Toilets at the camp
• Food at the camp

Born in 1933 (age 11 at the end of the war)

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• Childhood memories
• Life on Yuri Island
• Connection between islanders
• Memories at the end of the war
• Landing of Soviet troops
• From Shibotsu Island to the camp
• Life at the camp
• Visiting Yuri Island

Born in 1941 (age 3 at the end of the war)

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• Life on Akiyuri Island
• Connection between islanders
• Life after repatriation
• If the island returns

Born in 1931 (age 14 at the end of the war)

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• Suisho Island
• Childhood memories
• Situation immediately after the war
• Escape from the island

Born in 1919 (age 26 at the end of the war)

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• Life on Taraku Island
• Memories on the island
• Situation immediately after the war
• Landing of Soviet troops
• Situation at the time of repatriation
• Thoughts for Taraku Island

Born in 1929 (age 16 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Memories of Shibotsu Island
• Memories of the day the war ended
• Landing of Soviet troops
• Escape from the island
• Life in Nemuro
• Visiting Shibotsu Island

Born in 2003 (age 5 at the end of the war)

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• Life on Taraku Island
• Entertainment on the island
• Soviet landing
• Escape from the island
• Wish for return

Born in 1940 (age 5 at the end of the war)

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• Father’s work
• Life on Akiyuri Island
• Childhood memories
• Life after repatriation
• Visiting Akiyuri Island

Born in 1934 (age 10 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Life on Shibotsu Island
• Memories on the day the war ended
• Landing of Soviet troops
• Form Shibotsu Island to the camp
• Life at the camp
• To Hakodate by repatriation ship
• Life in Nemuro
• Visiting Shibotsu Island

Born in 1937 (age 8 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Children’s fun on the island
• Revisiting Suisho Island

Born in 1926 (age 18 at the end of the war)

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• Settlement on Taraku Island
• Soviet occupation
• Escape from the island

Born in 1926 (age 19 at the end of the war)

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• Soviet occupation
• Under Soviet occupation
• If the island returns

Born in 1927 (age 18 at the end of the war)

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• Taraku Island during the war
• Soviet occupation
• Escape from the island

Born in 1935 (age 9 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Repatriation

Born in 1929 (age 15 at the end of the war)

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• End of the war
• Soviet occupation
• Thoughts for the island

Born in 1933 (age 12 at the end of the war)

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• Before the occupation
• Escape from the island
• Thoughts for the island

Born in 1933 (age 12 at the end of the war)

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• Island memories
• Escape from the island
• Feelings upon leaving the island
• Revisiting the island
• If the island returns

Born in 1931 (age 14 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Family business on Kunashiri Island
• Childhood memories
• End of the war and repatriation
• Life after repatriation
• Visiting Kunashiri Island

Born in 1929 (age 16 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Life on Kunashiri Island
• Entertainment on the island
• Landing of Soviet troops
• Life in Nemuro
• Nostalgia
• Communicating thoughts for the island to grandchildren

Born in 1930 (age 15 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Nature on Kunashiri Island
• Childhood memories
• Family business on the island
• Memories at the end of the war
• Soviet landing
• Life at the camp
• Visiting Kunashiri Island
• If the island returns

Born in 1922 (age 22 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Work on Kunashiri Island
• Life on the island
• Entertainment on the island
• Drafted into the army
• To Nemuro after demobilization
• Strong thoughts for returning to the island
• Reunion with family
• Visiting Kunashiri Island

Born in 1938 (age 6 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Life on Kunashiri Island
• Childhood memories
• Connection between islanders
• Soviet landing
• Escape from the island
• Life in Nemuro
• Visiting Kunashiri Island

Born in 1929 (age 16 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Life on Kunashiri Island
• Childhood memories
• Soviet landing and escape
• Hard work after repatriation
• Thoughts for the return of the Northern Territories

Born in 1923 (age 22 at the end of the war)

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• Industry on Kunashiri Island
• Elementary school memories
• Connections between islanders
• End of the war and demobilization
• Family remaining on the island

Born in 1934 (age 11 at the end of the war)

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• Life at the camp

Born in 1931 (age 13 at the end of the war)

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• Soviet occupation

Born in 1936 (age 9 at the end of the war)

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• Soviet occupation
• Repatriation in 1947
• At the camp in Maoka, Karafuto, during repatriation
• Revisiting my hometown

Born in 1941 (age 3 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Life on the island
• Soviet occupation
• Under occupation
• Repatriation
• Thoughts for the island

Born in 1928 (age 17 at the end of the war)

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• Background behind settlement of Shikotan Island
• Life on the island
• Childhood memories
• The island during the war
• Landing of Soviet troops
• Situation at the time of repatriation

Born in 1942 (age 2 at the end of the war)

Interview details

• Situation at the time of repatriation
• Life in Nemuro
• Thoughts for Shikotan
• Visiting Shikotan Island

The Four Northern Islands Exchange Center NI HO RO features exhibition rooms showing the history and current situation of the Northern Territories, the Russian Culture Room, where visitors can experience Russian culture, and the Northern Museum, which exhibits valuable documents and maps.
The exhibition rooms clearly show the history, current state and people’s lives of the Northern Territories. The second-floor exhibition rooms display historically valuable photos, documents, and maps related to the four northern islands. The Japanese Culture Room is a Japanese-style room where visitors can experience traditional Japanese culture, including tea ceremony and flower arrangement. Russians living on the four northern islands who visit Nemuro under the visa-free exchange program experience Japanese culture here.
On clear days, Kunashiri Island can be seen from the observation room on the second floor.

Located near Cape Hanasaki, south of downtown Nemuro, this rock measuring approximately 6 m in diameter was formed roughly 60 million years ago. It is thought that magma became spherical when it touched the seawater and cooled. Its unique shape makes it a global curiosity, and it was designated as a National Natural Treasure in 1939. The name derives from its wheel-like shape.

This brick building was built in 1942 as the Nemuro Branch of the Ominato Naval Communications Unit and was used as an elementary school after the war. It exhibits valuable materials, such as drawings of the ship Ekaterina, on which the Russian Adam Laxman arrived in Nemuro, a stone marker showing the border with Russia that was placed on the 50th parallel in northern Karafuto, and plant specimens from Shikotan Island.

Cape Nosappu is the easternmost point of Hokkaido. It is famous as the first place in Hokkaido to welcome each day's sunrise. The Habomai Islands and Kaigara Island are just 3.7 km away, and Suisho Island is 7 km from Cape Nosappu, which is Hokkaido's closest point to the Northern Territories. On clear days, the mountains of Kunashiri Island can be seen.

Nemuro is known as the starting point of the Campaign for the Return of the Northern Territories. Hoppo-kan, on Cape Nosappu, overlooks the Habomai Islands. At Hoppo-kan, historical materials and photos show the background of the Northern Territories issue. Bokyo-no-Ie opened as a sanctuary for those who were expelled from the four northern islands. Maps showing pre-war townscapes and houses are on display here. Hoppo-kan and Bokyo-no-Ie allow visitors to learn a lot about history and life in those days while seeing the Northern Territories.

Shunkunitai, a sandbar between Lake Furen and the Sea of Okhotsk, is in an area of diverse habitats, including wetlands, forests and tidal flats. Approximately 320 species of wild birds inhabit Shunkunitai and Lake Furen, and various wild birds can be seen in every season from the nature observation path of the nature center.

This dairy farm allows you to interact with cows. At the entrance is a building where dairy products, such as soft-serve ice cream, and handmade gifts and souvenirs are sold, allowing visitors to enjoy the charm of the dairy farm as well as the splendor of the vast pastureland. Participatory programs range from milking and butter-making to real dairy farming work just like that done by farm workers.

Etopirika, which entered service in FY 2012, is used for the four-island exchange program. The ship was named by the public after the tufted puffin (etopirika) a seabird that inhabits the waters of the Nemuro Peninsula and the four northern islands. The name conjures up images of free movement between the four northern islands and the rest of Japan. To accommodate aging former islanders, the ship is equipped with an elevator for wheelchair-users, a "barrier-free" cabin, and restrooms with multifunction toilets. It also has gender-segregated baths and shake-reduction devices for comfort and safety. The dining-cum-assembly room can be used for gatherings of all passengers.

Betsukai Nyugyo Kousha is commissioned by Betsukai Town to operate a dairy processing training facility. Visitors can make cheese, butter, and ice cream with fresh raw milk from Betsukai, in addition to visiting milk and yogurt manufacturing plants.

The Notsuke Peninsula and Kunashiri Island on the Nemuro Strait can be seen from here. Kunashiri Island is just 16 km from the peninsula. Next to the observation tower are four pillars representing the four islands and “crying statues” of an old woman, her son, and her grandchild crying sadly for the return to the Northern Territories across the sea.

The Notsuke Peninsula is the largest sand spit in Japan. It has a unique crochet-hook shape and a length of 26 km. The fantastic scenery of Todowara (still-standing dead Sakhalin fir trees) and Narawara (still-standing dead Japanese oak trees) that has been created by seawater make the area a scenic spot. Information on the Notsuke Peninsula is available on the first floor of the nature center, as are a restaurant and a shop for local specialties, and on the second floor there are exhibits on the history, flora, and fauna of the Notsuke Peninsula. Panoramic views of Notsuke Bay can be enjoyed from the observation deck.

Passengers can enjoy a cruise while looking out over the Notsuke Peninsula and Notsuke Bay. There are three cruise routes, including one that allows you to see Kunashiri Island up close, and another, the Todowara Route, that allows you to enjoy the scenery of dead trees.

A sweeping 330-degree views can be enjoyed from Kaiyodai (elev. 270 m). See the Notsuke Peninsula and Kunashiri Island beyond vast pastures and a grid of windbreaks.

This straight hilly road continues from downtown Nakashibetsu to Kaiyodai. See dairy cows on the vast meadows along the road and enjoy beautiful scenery unique to Hokkaido. It is also a popular touring spot for for motorists.

Located in leafy Maruyama Park, this museum displays approximately 1,500 materials related to the history, folklore, and pioneering days of Nakashibetsu from its collection of more than 40,000 items. Pottery with frog motifs, which has been designated as a cultural property by the town, and materials on Shibetsu Line of the former Japanese National Railways are also on display. The C11-209 steam locomotive is stored next to the museum.

This Uramashu Lookout is about 20 minutes by car from Yoroushi Onsen. It's a hidden spot from which to see Lake Mashu from the northeast side with relatively little fog. See the mysterious Lake Mashu surrounded by primeval forests.

This salmon aquarium exhibits some 30 species of salmonid fish. The highlight is the large 110-kiloliter seawater tank. In addition to salmonid fish, other fish living in the Nemuro Strait are raised and displayed. From September to November, watch from up close as salmon migrate upstream. Observe spawning in November and salmon fry and yamame trout swimming in schools from February to August. A participatory program in which you put your fingers in a sturgeon's mouth is popular. When you bring your hand close, sturgeon come to you thinking that your fingers are food, but since sturgeon have no teeth, they won't hurt you.

Photo panels and panoramic models are on display here. Learn about the history of the Campaign for the Return of the Northern Territories and the state of the Northern Territories before the war. On the first floor are stuffed animals living in the Northern Territories, and from the exhibition room on the second floor, you can see Kunashiri Island across the water.

Departing from Rausu Port, a ship sails in search of whales and dolphins in coastal waters administered by Japan. Sperm whales with a body length of nearly 20 m are often seen from July through October, while killer whales are likely to be seen in April or May. A friendly school of whales may approach the ship. On clear days, Kunashiri Island can be seen from up close.

This visitors' center is situated in Rausu, the entrance to Shiretoko, a World Natural Heritage. In addition to exhibits on the nature, history and culture of Shiretoko, you can see the four seasons of Shiretoko on video. This base connects people to nature in Shiretoko. Japan’s largest skeletal specimen of a killer whale can be seen.

Learn the value of nature, including the sea, from a broad perspective here. Inside the facility, panels and photos show the relationship between people and the sea in Shiretoko, and highlight marine and land ecosystems and their connections.

This fishing port was the first in the Nemuro area to have a covered wharf, which makes it a port where catches can be landed and freight can be handled whatever the weather. Cold, clean deep seawater is pumped up from the depth of 350 m for use in the preservation, cleaning, and cultivation of fish.

This folk museum was built by remodeling an elementary school building. Rausu is a place where Northern peoples came and went, and it abounds in archeological artifacts from the unique Okhotsk and Tobinitai cultures, as well as from the Satsumon culture. The museum is divided into nine exhibition rooms with themes of archeology, modern times, industry, lifestyle and more. Learn about history from the Paleolithic era to recent times.

This observation tower is on Bokyodai, a hill about 2 km from downtown Rausu. At 167 m above sea level, it overlooks Rausu Fishing Port and Kunashiri Island across the Nemuro Strait. In the facility, see videos on the history of the Northern Territories issue and how the exchange program is conducted. The view from the roof has been selected as one of the "eight views of Rausu."

With the aim of increasing sea urchin resources and stabilizing fishery, sea urchin larvae are fertilized, bred and released here. Observe the work at the center.

This warehouse is lined with Rausu kelp waiting to be shipped. Learn about Rausu kelp and make kelp snacks.

Shibetsu offers a salmon-themed nature learning program and hosts many students on school trips.