千島の謎 QF: Mystery of Kurile Islands

(English version is following the Japanese one)

準々決勝.　論題がなんとロシア！（Yes!!Finally!）
That we should suspend Russia's G8 membership pending democratic reforms
和訳すると，「民主化が遅れているロシアのG8参加権を停止するべき」ですかね・・・？

そういうわけでロシアの政治について聞けるという活気的な試合でした．
皆普段あんまりロシアについて勉強してないから，
こういう機会に勉強する切欠を貰うのは良いと思います．

まあそれは良いのです．
審査結果に影響しないようなマイナーな例だったのですが，否定側がチョロっと言いました．

"Russia and Japan are disputing over Kurile Islands"

......???
なにぃ？

ロシアと日本はいつから千島列島をめぐって領土問題を抱えているのですか・・・？
(Kurile Islandsの和名は千島列島ですよね？）
いや，より正確には，ロシアと日本は「今でも」千島列島を取り合っているのですか？

・・・謎です．

私が小学生の時は，日本はサンフランシスコ条約で千島列島は放棄したが，
北方四島（国後島，択捉島，色丹島，歯舞諸島）は放棄していないはず．
よって今もロシアが占拠，返還を要求中，と習いました．

教科書の表記は流石に多少日本よりの解釈ではあるだろうと思いましたが，
うーん・・・・・北方四島は英語で何ていうんだ？？

日本側の解釈はここで読めます．
(某スキャンダル以来このトピックは外務省よりウィキペディアを読むことにした私）

詳しい年表はこちら．（1956年に注目．びっくり）

ロシア側に近い解釈はこちらで読めます．

……結論．
1) とりあえずKurile Islandsと呼ぶのが絶対に間違いとは言えない．
2) が，ロシア側の主張をベースにした呼称になるので公平とは言い難い．
3) 現状のままだと，これについて英語でディベートするのはかなり困難．
4) 上のサイトにあるようなことを英訳した方がいい．（面倒臭い）

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Quarter Finals got very refreshing motions.
On Russia!!! (Yes, Finally!!)
Motions of the round I watched was...
That we should suspend Russia's G8 membership pending democratic reforms.

Because it seems debaters are not encouraged to learn about Russia much,
I was glad that at least Australasians took an action to do something about it.
So, I was fully enjoying the round hearing about Russian politics.

But there was a very mysterious statement by the negative team.
It was a merginal example in the round and didn't affect my decision much.
But they said "Russia and Japan are disputing over Kurile Islands"

......?? Really??

Since when Russia and Japan are disputing over Kurile/Chishima?
(Kurile in Russian and Chisima in Japanese)
Or more correctly are Russia and Japan "still" disputing over Kurile/Chishima?

While my primary school days, I was taught that Japan gave up Chisima(Kuril) Islands after WW2, but didn't abandon the Northern Territory (Kunashiri Island, Etorofu Island, Shikotan Island and Habomai Islands). And so, Japan is asking Russia to give them back.

I did assume that textbook is based on a biased point of view towards Japan.
But say, how do we call the islands of Northern territory in English to begin with?

So, I looked up.

You can read Japanese version of interpretation here.
(Hey, wikipedia's summary is better than MOFA's now... after that scandal...)

For further chronological table, look at an article here.
(And pay attention on year 1956!!! WOW??? Did you know that???)

And for Russian version interpretation, read here.

To conclude,
1) It is not absolutely incorrect to call them as a part of Kurile Islands.
2) But calling them Kurile already makes you take a biased position towards Russia. (a bit similar to Dokdo/Takeshima issue but this one is even more complicated because Kurile and Chisima may not mean same islands although there are overlaps)
3) So, at this moment, it is difficult to debate on the territorial issue between Russia and Japan in English, the third language.
4) Somebody gotta translate sites above into English. (What a bother...)