Jakarta, ThedailyID — Japan has protested a new United Nations world map after it depicted the disputed Kuril Islands as Russian territory.
Japanese government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said Tokyo had raised the issue through diplomatic channels and requested a correction.
“The map contains a depiction that contradicts the position of the Japanese government,” Kihara told reporters, Friday, September 11, 2026.
“We have lodged a protest with the operator of the map website through diplomatic channels and requested that this depiction be corrected,” he added.
The dispute involves the Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Chishima Islands. Tokyo also refers to the southern part of the disputed territory as the Northern Territories.
The Soviet Union seized the islands in 1945, near the end of World War II. The Soviet takeover was followed by the displacement of Japanese residents.
Japan has long maintained its claim over the southern islands. Russia, however, controls the territory.
The issue has remained a major point of tension between Tokyo and Moscow. Recent developments have further strained relations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands last month. It was his first visit to the disputed territory, according to the report.
Japan responded by summoning Russia’s ambassador. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also criticized the visit.
Takaichi described the move as “deeply offensive to the feelings of the Japanese people” and “completely unacceptable.”
The controversy over the UN map emerged after the UN General Assembly voted last week to adopt a new world map.
The map also generated criticism over its depiction of the relative sizes of continents. Africa appears significantly larger than in previous versions, while North America and Europe appear smaller.
The United States also protested the map’s depiction.
Japan was among 164 UN members that supported the resolution adopting the new map. However, Tokyo later objected to the treatment of the Kuril Islands.
The dispute highlights how cartographic depictions can carry political significance when they involve territories claimed by multiple countries.
