Northern Territories: Shiga students visit Nemuro to learn about territory return movement

A group of middle school students from Shiga Prefecture visited Nemuro City in Hokkaido to deepen their understanding of the Northern Territories issue. During their inspection tour, the students visited the Nemuro Port Northern Four Islands Exchange Center and boarded the ship ‘Etoripika’, which is used for exchange programs with the islands.

The students also met with Nemuro Mayor Masatoshi Ishigaki and attended an educational lecture provided by local high school students who engage in activities to promote the return of the territories. The visit aimed to reaffirm the high level of civic awareness regarding the territorial dispute and the importance of the movement to return the islands.