Overview
- Japan lodged a formal protest on Thursday with the operator of an Equal Earth world map after the site displayed the four disputed Kuril islands in the same colour as Russian territory, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.
- The online map labels the islands with Russian names and includes a note that Russia has effective control while Japan asserts sovereignty, a presentation Tokyo says contradicts its position and risks creating public misconceptions.
- Tokyo supported the U.N. General Assembly vote to adopt the Equal Earth projection on Sept. 4 but clarified that the U.N. decision endorsed the map projection itself and did not mandate how individual maps must label or colour disputed areas.
- The protest comes after a spike in bilateral tensions following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s surprise visit to the islands in August, which prompted Japan to summon Moscow’s ambassador and issue strong condemnations.
- The dispute is currently at the digital and diplomatic level as Japan presses for correction; the outcome will depend on the site operator’s response and could shape how other online maps handle contested borders and place names.