Thirty-four former residents and family members boarded a chartered flight leaving Nemuro Nakashibetsu Airport in Hokkaido on Saturday morning to conduct an aerial memorial service near the Russian-held Northern Territories. The participants gathered to pay respects to their ancestors from above amid the ongoing suspension of traditional exchange programs.
Exchange programs allowing former residents to visit the graves of their relatives and ancestors on the disputed islands have been suspended due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Saturday’s event marked the second aerial memorial service of its kind, following a first service held in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former Islanders Joined Chartered Flight
The chartered plane departed from Nemuro Nakashibetsu Airport in Hokkaido around 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, with participants putting their hands together in the sky at approximately 11 a.m. The 34 attendees included former islanders and their family members.
Tomie Nishidate, an 89-year-old former resident of Kunashiri Island, shared her reflections during the flight. When I see the islands from above, I remember my hometown and feel nostalgic,
she said, according to reports from The Japan Times.
Another participant, 90-year-old Kuni Tabata from Kunashiri Island, attended alongside her 66-year-old daughter, Hitomi Hoshi. Hoshi reflected on the journey by noting, It’s close and yet far away. I looked at it thinking that there was a time when she lived there.
Historical Context and Upcoming Schedule
The islands at the center of the territorial dispute were seized from Japan by Soviet troops in the closing days of World War II. Following Saturday’s flight, a similar event is slated to be held on Nov. 7 this year.
