国际英语新闻：Japanese FM views disputed northern islands from sky

TOKYO, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara on Saturday viewed from a Japan Coast Guard plane the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido claimed by Japan, local media reported.

Maehara has thus become the first Japanese minister to inspect the islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, since Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited the Kunashiri Island, one of the islands, on Nov. 1.

Maehara announced his plan to head for Nemuro in Hokkaido to view the disputed territories at a press conference Tuesday, saying "I hope to explain to former islanders what I discussed with the Russian foreign minister as well as the government's future policy of dealing with Russia, and hear what they think.

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara (R) views the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido claimed by Japan from a Japan Coast Guard plane, Dec. 4, 2010. Maehara has thus become the first Japanese minister to inspect the islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, since Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited the Kunashiri Island, one of the islands, on Nov. 1.

Maehara held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the issue of disputed islands on the sidelines of the APEC 2010 summit in Yokohama in November following Medvedev's visit to the Kunashiri Island.

Medvedev's visit sparked protests from the Japanese side. On Nov. 2, Maehara announced the decision to recall its ambassador to Russia Masaharu Kono temporarily.

And Nemuro Mayor Shunsuke Hasegawa and representatives of former islanders asked Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Maehara to visit the Hokkaido city to view the disputed islands.