Yeltsin's visit and the outlook for japanese-russian relations

The article clarifies a major misunderstanding prevalent among Americans, who tend to regard Japan's request for the return of the Northern Territories as a narrow-minded, national-egoistic demand. Instead, the issue has become a global one. The author evaluates Yeltsin's December 1992 visit to Tokyo, which has set a basic framework for further negotiation over the territorial disputes. Predicting optimistically the possible resolution of the dispute in the future, the author proposes concretely what may be done by the Japanese and the Russians.