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Japan Wants New UN World Map Changed over Kuril Islands Dispute with Russia

Japan said the UN map contradicts its sovereignty claim over the four southern Kuril Islands and demanded the depiction be corrected.

  • On Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Japan protested a UN-encouraged map depicting disputed islands off Hokkaido as Russian territory, stating it "contained a depiction contradicting the Japanese government's position."
  • The United Nations General Assembly voted on Sept 4 to encourage the Equal Earth projection, backed by 164 countries as "a more accurate representation" of continental landmasses, though Japan later objected.
  • Following diplomatic requests, the website operator "corrected" the map, changing the Northern Territories to match Japan's color scheme in the Japanese version.
  • Tokyo maintains the island chain consisting of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and Habomai was illegally seized by the Soviet Union in 1945, according to Japan's historical position.
  • Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described Russian President Vladimir Putin's surprise visit last month as "absolutely unacceptable," highlighting the sensitive nature of bilateral tensions over the territory.
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Japan demanded that the new map of the world be changed in the Equal Earth projection, which the UN General Assembly had previously voted in favour of, and Tokyo was outraged that the disputed islands of the southern part of the Kuril Garden were marked on the map in the same color as Russia, writing The Guardian.

·Vilnius, Lithuania
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A new world map that more accurately defines the size of Africa is not to everyone's liking. In addition to the United States, Japan has spoken out because the new map shows the disputed Kuril Islands as part of Russia. Japan is now demanding a change to the map, which has already been adopted by the United Nations.

·Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Zëri broke the news on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
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