RussoJapanese

Russo-Japanese is an adjective used to describe the relations, history, and interactions between Russia and Japan. The term encompasses diplomatic, military, economic, and cultural dimensions across different historical eras, from early contact in the Far East to the contemporary relationship between the Russian Federation and Japan.

Historically, the two empires established regular contact in the 17th through 19th centuries, leading to a series of border and influence arrangements in the Far East. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, competition over Korea and Manchuria intensified, culminating in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. The conflict ended with the Treaty of Portsmouth, reshaping regional power dynamics and affecting subsequent diplomacy and territorial arrangements, including the handling of the Sakhalin region and surrounding areas.

World War II and its aftermath significantly altered relations. In 1945 the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and occupied portions of Manchuria and the Kuril Islands. The postwar settlement left Russia and Japan without a formal peace treaty for many decades. The 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty formally ended the war for Japan but did not settle the dispute over the Kuril Islands; a 1956 joint declaration restored diplomatic relations and opened negotiations toward a peace treaty, a process that has yet to be completed.

In the modern era, Russia and Japan maintain official diplomatic channels, engage in trade and regional cooperation, and pursue cultural and scientific exchanges. The principal outstanding issue is the territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands, which continues to affect the prospect of a comprehensive bilateral peace treaty.