Japan: from Russia - northern territories, from the USA - southern territories...

Who does Japan border with?

Which countries does it share land borders with? Not with any. Its territory is located on more than 3 thousand islands, washed on four sides by ocean waters. The length of the coastline is 29.75 thousand kilometers. Neighboring lands do not have common land borders; they pass through the waters of the seas:

• in a northeastern direction with Russia (via Okhotsk);
• in the west with China (via East China);
• There is a border with Korea in Japan.

All powers with which Japan borders are in conflict with it. These disputes concern the legality of the location of jurisdictional limits and the ownership of certain lands. In the twentieth century, these boundaries were revised several times and now there are inconsistencies in the official versions of their passage.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), led by China and Russia, attracts attention

Amid the chaos in Afghanistan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, led by China and Russia, is gaining increasing attention.

First of all, I would like to briefly talk about it. The SCO was formed in 1996 by China and Russia after the collapse of the USSR. Fearing the threat of terrorism, they created a structure called the Shanghai Five to build confidence in the area of ​​border control.

Then the SCO was formed in 2001, which turns 20 this year. It includes eight countries - China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four Central Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), but Iran was also admitted as a full member at the September summit, bringing the total number of participants to nine. Countries such as Mongolia, Belarus and Afghanistan are observers.

The SCO is an organization whose main goal is to prevent terrorism, drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes, but members also deepen cooperation in the military sphere by conducting exercises under the flag of peacekeeping missions. As I noted above, on September 17, a summit dedicated to the organization’s 20th anniversary was held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan.

In addition to the heads of member states, the summit was attended by leaders of observer countries, as well as Turkmenistan, which participated as an invited country.

Milliyet 10/12/2018 Daily Express 09/24/2021 The Diplomat 01/14/2020

If you look at the geography of these countries, they cover the Eurasian continent from Russia in the north through China and Central Asia to India.

If you include Iran, which has become an official member, it becomes clear that the group now extends into the Middle East. It’s as if we are witnessing the revival of the great empire of Genghis Khan.

Possibility of becoming a political pole that cannot be ignored

Currently, the SCO does not have significant influence in the international community, but if it deepens cooperation at the military and economic levels, then it cannot be denied that the organization can become one of the poles of international politics that cannot be ignored.

Indeed, in his speech at the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the SCO is essentially one of the most influential centers in the multipolar structure of international cooperation.

But that is not all. The summit also included a meeting with the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a military alliance led by Russia. It is a kind of military bloc of six countries - Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - which must provide military assistance to its members in connection with the threats they face.

As for the countries included in it, it is obvious that Russia has overwhelming power, and it can be said that in this way it promised the former Soviet republics to provide them with military assistance.

From Russia's point of view, this group allows it to control the European direction, where Belarus is located, the Caucasus, where Armenia is located, and Central Asia, which is represented by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Some countries are members of both organizations and face common problems in resolving the situation in Afghanistan. Although the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the SCO are structures of different natures, instability in Afghanistan raises the possibility of strengthening relations, including cooperation at the military level. What is President Putin striving for?

Dreams of Russia

Let's listen to the words of President Putin himself. As he emphasized at the summit: “This, of course, goes in line with the implementation of the Russian idea of ​​creating a Greater Eurasian Partnership with the participation of the SCO, EAEU, ASEAN countries and the Chinese One Belt, One Road initiative.”

The Greater Eurasian Partnership sounds grandiose, but it feels like something from a bygone era.

This concept is mentioned in Chapter 4 of the Dushanbe Declaration on Economic Cooperation, the final document of the summit.

In other words, this partnership is necessary to create space in Eurasia for broad, open, mutually beneficial and equal relations. The idea is admirable, but the language itself is reminiscent of the Soviet era.

This concept appears to be a method for President Putin to maintain and expand his influence in Eurasia in tandem with China's Belt and Road Initiative. What exactly are the goals of the Russian leader?

First, weaken the economic and other influence of the West in these Eurasian countries. In particular, the inclusion of Iran as a full member of the SCO will inevitably lead to an increase in anti-American tone in this organization, especially from Iran, Russia and China.

Secondly, take under your wing the Central Asian region, which has become independent and strives for independent development. Central Asian countries are strengthening relations with Japan and the United States, as well as Germany and other European countries, but their geographical location between China and Russia obliges them to maintain relations with both neighbors. This is the essence of the geopolitical situation in Central Asia.

A multipolar world, which has been discussed many times

Third, take control of the western border of Afghanistan by involving Iran. Afghanistan is bordered by China, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - all of them, with the exception of Turkmenistan, are SCO member countries. Turkmenistan was also invited to the summit, which signifies the unity of the countries surrounding Afghanistan. The goal is to extend influence over it after the US leaves and at the same time effectively fight terrorism and drug trafficking.

Fourth, create a multipolar world order, which is repeatedly mentioned in the Dushanbe Declaration. It also essentially represents the formation of an anti-American force to counter US unipolar rule.

The declaration also talks about building a new type of international relations. Russia and China probably have different ideas about the international order referred to in this phrase, but they have one common goal - weakening American influence.

Meanwhile, the SCO does not want to become a supranational organization like the EU, since non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries is its highest value. Rather, it strives for independent and free cooperation, as stated in the Dushanbe Declaration. That is why it can become a platform for uniting countries with different values.

Nihon Keizai 06/09/2021 Advance 09/03/2021 The Wall Street Journal 05/01/2019

Confrontation between US and Japanese naval power

Now let's look at the relationship between Japan and the SCO. It would not be an exaggeration to say that at the moment they are completely absent. Moreover, for Japan, the anti-American values ​​of this group are unacceptable.

But it should be noted that it is a maritime country. As you know, the states that are members of the SCO represent a “club” of mainland states, and the SCO, in essence, is a way to unite their land power.

In this sense, there is absolutely no reason for Japan to participate. Rather, the SCO is a potential source of threat, since it represents a counterweight to the naval power of Japan and the United States, which are maritime powers.

From this point of view, Japan should closely monitor the SCO and develop economic cooperation with Central Asia in order to drive a wedge not only in the security sphere, but also in the socio-economic sphere.

However, given the geopolitical conditions in Central Asia, the success rate of such moves is somewhat questionable.

The roots of mistrust between China and Russia

Let us now return to the origins of the SCO. The initial goal of this organization was to strengthen military confidence on the border after the collapse of the USSR, in particular, to mutually reduce the number of border troops.

In other words, there are deep roots of border-related mistrust between the participating countries, especially between China and Russia.

If the United States, a huge maritime power, retreats and weakens its influence, the importance of the SCO as an anti-American force will decrease, and this will lead to a natural increase in wariness and confrontation among members of the organization.

Japan, in turn, will need to consider strengthening its partnership with AUKUS, the trilateral defense alliance formed by Australia, the UK and the US.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

Neighborhood with Russia

Today, the maritime border with Russia passes through the straits that separate the islands of Hokkaido, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. Its length is 195 km.

Before World War II, the Kuril Islands and part of Sakhalin belonged to the Land of the Rising Sun. That is, at that time Russia had a border on land. In 1945, the map acquired its modern appearance.

To this day there are still disputes about who owns the Kuril Islands. The Land of the Rising Sun declares the illegality of transferring the southern group of the Kuril Islands to the control of the Soviet Union after the end of the war.

Description of the islands

The state includes almost seven thousand islands, inhabited and not, suitable for life and consisting only of volcanoes.

Let's look at the main ones:

1. Hokkaido. The second largest, area - 83.46 million square meters. km, population - 5.6 million people, located in the temperate climate zone.
2. Honshu. The largest and most populous, the capital is located here. Area - 231.1 million square meters. km, population - 103 million people. The climate varies from continental in the north to subtropical in the south.
3. Shikoku. Area - 18.79 million square meters. km, population 3.98 million people. In climatic terms, the island is divided into two subregions: in the north - Mediterranean, in the south - subtropical.
4. Kyushu. Area - 42.18 million square meters. km, population 12 million people. Located in the subtropical zone.

Relations with China

The Senkaku Archipelago has become a subject of dispute with China. Legally, these are Japanese lands, however, both China and Taiwan make claims to them.

There is evidence on both sides: ancient maps on which the archipelago is named Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese.

The area of ​​these lands is slightly more than 6 square kilometers, they are not inhabited. Why then do those governments with whom Japan borders have them? It is believed that these territories have energy potential: gas and oil deposits, and there are also a lot of fish in these waters. We should not forget about the military-political interest: both sides want to have as many water territories as possible in order to realize the possibilities of military navigation.

Relief and climate

The country is located entirely on the Japanese archipelago, consisting of 6,852 islands of volcanic or mountainous origin. They were formed as a result of the subduction of the Philippine plate under the Amur and Okinawa plates, and the Pacific plate under the Okhotsk plate. The peculiarities of the formation of the archipelago lead to frequent earthquakes.

Although Japan is a four-season climate region, there are significant variations in temperatures, from low temperatures in the north to subtropical temperatures in the south.

The weather is greatly influenced by seasonal winds blowing from the continent in winter and from the islands in summer. The region also receives large amounts of rainfall.

Conflict with Korea

Again the territorial question of land ownership. This time the subject of dispute was the Takeshima island group. These lands are called by different names. This is due to the fact that two peoples gave them their names. Now they are under Korean jurisdiction; there are no permanent residents there.

Even today this mysterious power can be called a semi-closed state. Its customs offices have fairly strict entry conditions and a large list of prohibited items. Analyzing the historical experience of land conflicts, it can be assumed that disputes between neighboring states will not end soon, since none of them plans to concede to their rivals.

Flora and fauna

The high humidity and isolation of the islands provided favorable conditions for the emergence of a large number of plant and animal species.

Flora characteristic of the tropics, subtropics and temperate zones grows here. The rainforest is located on the coast of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands.

Here you can find:

• palm trees;
• ferns;
• banana trees;
• ficus;
• creepers.

Subtropical forests are found on the island of Shikoku and the south of Honshu. They are represented by cypresses, thujas, laurels, etc. In the mountains of Hokkaido there are spruce and fir trees, in Honshu there are alpine meadows.

The fauna of Japan is distinguished by the presence of endemics (animals found only in this region), such as the fire-bellied python, Iriomotean cat, Okinawan flying fox, etc.

Depending on the climate zone, they also live:

• brown bears;
• hares;
• sables;
• chipmunks;
• macaques;
• white-breasted bears;
• foxes;
• serow;
• wild boars;
• various species of birds and fish.

flying fox

Interesting Facts

Eastern philosophy, closely intertwined, but not dissolved with Western values, creates an unprecedented background of life, forming a completely unique mentality and way of life of the inhabitants.

Here are some interesting facts about life in this country:

1. Currently, there is a trend among women in Japan for crooked teeth. After paying huge amounts of money to dentists, they end up with long and protruding fangs.
2. The country is distinguished by its life expectancy; today more than 65 thousand people live here, whose age has passed 100 years.
3. There are legends about the ability of Eastern people to work. In Japan, career obsession is on the rise. Young people give up family, having children, and sometimes even sex in favor of work.
4. In this regard, most residents work 12 hours a day with a six-day work week.
5. People here are taught to work from an early age. Children in schools clean their own classrooms.

Dangers of nature

Due to the peculiarities of the geographical location and the process of formation of the islands on which the country is located, living here is fraught with dangers. The country is home to many volcanoes, the eruptions of which are accompanied by emissions of magma and ash into the atmosphere.

The region is also prone to constant earthquakes. Houses here are built taking this fact into account. Most shocks are minor and may not be felt. But there are also those that lead to the failure of communications, damage to furniture and equipment.

The last major earthquake occurred in 2011. It caused the formation of a tsunami that hit the islands and led in turn to an accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant and an environmental disaster in which about 15,000 people died.

Attractions

The main symbol of this mysterious country is Mount Fuji (Fujiyama). It looks like a smooth cone with a height of 3776 meters. This landmark is considered sacred to the Japanese. Not only thousands of tourists, but also local residents strive to climb it.

Another natural attraction is the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. It is located in the Kyoto area and was created by the monk Muso Soseki. The trees reach 40 meters in height. The park has a unique atmosphere of peace and depth.

Also in the country there are many castles that have survived to this day and have unique architecture and decoration.

The most famous of them:

1. Himeji (White Heron) Castle. Located 55 km from Kyoto, founded in 1333.
2. Matsumoto Castle. Located 3 hours from Tokyo, built in 1580.
3. Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The present residence of the emperor, the last restoration was carried out in 1888. The building itself has been here since the 15th century.
4. Nijo Castle. Is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the center of Kyoto. Founded in 1601.
5. Nagoya Castle. It was the residence of the Tokugawa shoguns. Founded in 1612.

Japan is a country where modernity and antiquity merge together. Tourists' attention is attracted by the contrast of modern megacities with neon advertisements, skyscrapers, a huge amount of transport, buses and castles, or entire settlements built in a traditional style, engaged in crafts and carefully preserving the foundations of their ancestors.

White Heron Castle