Japan protests new UN map over disputed Kuril Islands depiction

Japan has lodged a formal diplomatic protest regarding a new United Nations world map, following its adoption by the General Assembly. While Japan was among the 164 nations that voted in favor of the resolution to promote the Equal Earth projection—designed to more accurately represent the relative sizes of continents compared to the traditional Mercator projection—the government has objected to the map's digital depiction of the disputed Kuril Islands.

Tokyo argues that the islands, which Japan refers to as the Northern Territories, are colored identically to Russian territory on the map's website, creating a misleading impression of sovereignty. Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara stated that the depiction contradicts the official position of the Japanese government and that diplomatic channels have been used to demand a correction.

The territorial dispute over the islands has been a long-standing point of tension between Tokyo and Moscow, exacerbated recently by a visit to the islands by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The UN has noted that the Equal Earth projection is a method for displaying the world and does not establish official political boundaries, though the cartographer of the projection has reportedly agreed to revise the Japanese-language version of the map to reflect Japan's claims.