Imagine standing on a Russian island and looking across the sea towards Japan. On a clear day, the Japanese island of Hokkaido is visible on the horizon. The two countries are separated by just 16 kilometres of water, yet more than 80 years of unresolved history lie between them.
Welcome to Kunashir Island, one of the most fascinating and politically complicated places in the North Pacific.
Known as Kunashiri in Japanese (国後島) and Kunashir (Кунашир) in Russian, this remote island belongs geographically to the southern Kuril island chain. It is administered by Russia as part of Sakhalin Oblast, but Japan continues to claim sovereignty over it.
Beyond the political dispute, Kunashir is an extraordinary place of volcanoes, geothermal springs, dense forests, rugged coastlines and remarkable biodiversity.
It is also a reminder that the borders we see on maps are not always as straightforward as they appear.
An Island Between Two Countries
Kunashir is situated between Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s northernmost main island, Hokkaido.
The island covers approximately 1,490 square kilometres, making it larger than Hong Kong and slightly smaller than Greater London.
Its geography is dominated by volcanic mountains, forests and a coastline shaped by the powerful forces of the Pacific Ocean.
Kunashir at a glance:
- Location: North Pacific Ocean, between Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands
- Area: Approximately 1,490 km²
- Administration: Russia, Sakhalin Oblast
- Claimed by: Japan
- Main settlement: Yuzhno-Kurilsk
- Japanese name: Kunashiri (国後島)
- Russian name: Kunashir (Кунашир)
- Highest mountain: Mount Tyatya, approximately 1,819 metres
- Distance from Japan: Approximately 16 kilometres at the closest point
Kunashir is part of a remarkable volcanic island arc stretching from Japan towards Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Geologically, this is one of the most active regions on Earth, where the Pacific tectonic plate is being pushed beneath the neighbouring plate system.
The result is an extraordinary landscape of volcanoes, earthquakes, hot springs and dramatic geological formations.
The Volcanoes of Kunashir
Perhaps the island’s most impressive natural feature is Mount Tyatya, known in Japanese as Chachadake.
Reaching approximately 1,819 metres above sea level, Tyatya is one of the most spectacular volcanoes in the Kuril Islands.
Its nearly symmetrical shape and distinctive nested volcanic cones give it an appearance reminiscent of a smaller Mount Fuji.
But Tyatya is not an isolated volcano.
Kunashir also contains several other volcanic centres, including Mount Mendeleev, Mount Ruruy and Mount Golovnin.
Golovnin is particularly fascinating because of its large volcanic caldera, which contains lakes and geothermal features.
Here, the landscape offers a glimpse into the geological forces that created the entire Kuril island chain.
Steam rises from the ground, volcanic gases escape through vents, and hot water emerges from the Earth’s interior.
This is nature at its most powerful.
Cape Stolbchaty: A Geological Masterpiece
One of Kunashir’s most extraordinary landscapes is Cape Stolbchaty, a coastal formation famous for its enormous basalt columns.
Thousands of years ago, volcanic lava cooled and contracted, creating remarkably regular polygonal columns.
Today, these formations rise along the coastline like a giant stone staircase.
Some columns stand vertically, while others appear stacked horizontally.
The result resembles an architectural structure built by an ancient civilisation.
But no human hands created it.
Similar geological formations can be found at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and Fingal’s Cave in Scotland.
Kunashir’s version is particularly impressive because the columns meet the wild waters of the Pacific.
It is one of those places where geology becomes art.
The Island That Japan Still Claims
Kunashir’s political history is just as dramatic as its natural landscape.
For decades, the island has been at the centre of a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan.
Before the Second World War, Kunashir was administered by Japan.
In August 1945, the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan and subsequently occupied the southern Kuril Islands.
Kunashir came under Soviet control, and the Japanese population was eventually displaced and repatriated.
The island became part of the Soviet Union and, following its dissolution in 1991, remained under Russian administration.
Japan, however, never accepted the Soviet takeover as a legitimate transfer of sovereignty.
Today, Japan claims four territories:
- Kunashir (Kunashiri)
- Iturup (Etorofu)
- Shikotan
- The Habomai island group
Japan collectively refers to them as the Northern Territories, while Russia considers them part of the Southern Kuril Islands.
The distinction is not simply geographical.
Japan maintains that these four territories were never part of the Kuril Islands it renounced in the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty.
Russia argues that its sovereignty over the islands is a legitimate outcome of the Second World War.
Both countries maintain fundamentally incompatible positions.
A War That Never Formally Ended with a Peace Treaty
One of the most remarkable consequences of the dispute is that Russia and Japan still have not concluded a formal peace treaty settling their Second World War relationship.
Although the two countries restored diplomatic relations through a joint declaration in 1956, the territorial disagreement prevented a comprehensive peace settlement.
For decades, Japanese and Russian leaders attempted to negotiate a solution.
At various moments, proposals included transferring some of the disputed islands to Japan or developing economic cooperation arrangements.
Yet no lasting agreement emerged.
Relations deteriorated further after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Japan joined international sanctions against Moscow.
By 2026, the dispute remained unresolved.
For those interested in geopolitics, Kunashir demonstrates how events from the 1940s can continue to influence international relations generations later.
Life on a Remote Russian Island
Despite its strategic importance, Kunashir is not a major population centre.
Most residents live in and around Yuzhno-Kurilsk, the island’s principal settlement.
Life here is very different from that in Moscow, Saint Petersburg or even Vladivostok.
The island is geographically isolated, transport connections are limited, and weather conditions can be challenging.
Fishing is an important economic activity, while government services and infrastructure also provide employment.
The surrounding waters contain valuable marine resources, including fish and shellfish.
For residents, the island is more than a disputed territory.
It is simply home.
People work, raise families, attend school and build their lives here, regardless of the political arguments taking place thousands of kilometres away.
This human dimension is often forgotten when discussing disputed territories.
On maps, Kunashir is a geopolitical question.
For its inhabitants, it is everyday life.
A Paradise for Wildlife
Kunashir’s isolation has helped preserve remarkable ecosystems.
Parts of the island belong to the Kurilsky Nature Reserve, established in 1984.
Its forests include a fascinating mixture of northern and southern plant species, reflecting the island’s unusual location between temperate East Asia and the colder northern Pacific.
Brown bears inhabit the forests, while the surrounding waters support seals, seabirds and other marine wildlife.
The island also provides habitat for rare plants and animals.
This combination of volcanoes, forests, wetlands and coastal ecosystems makes Kunashir particularly valuable for biodiversity research.
It is one of those places where nature feels much larger than human civilisation.
Can You Visit Kunashir Island?
Technically, yes.
Kunashir is not entirely closed to visitors, and tourism exists on the island.
However, visiting is considerably more complicated than travelling to most destinations in Japan or European Russia.
Visitors generally travel through the Russian Far East, with connections involving Sakhalin.
Foreign travellers must consider Russian visa requirements and additional restrictions associated with the island’s border-zone status.
Certain protected natural areas also require separate permits.
Travel arrangements can be affected by weather, limited transport capacity and administrative restrictions.
For adventurous travellers, the island offers an unusual combination of volcanic landscapes, remote settlements and complicated geopolitical history.
However, Kunashir is not a destination where you should simply arrive without planning.
Current entry requirements, transport availability and security conditions should always be verified before arranging a trip.
Why Kunashir Matters Globally
Kunashir might appear insignificant when viewed on a world map.
It is a relatively small island with a limited population, far from the world’s major economic centres.
Yet its importance extends well beyond its size.
First, geography. The island sits close to Japan and forms part of the strategically important Kuril island chain between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk.
Second, military strategy. The southern Kurils contribute to Russia’s regional defence position and its broader strategic presence in the North Pacific.
Third, international relations. The territorial dispute continues to complicate diplomatic relations between Russia and Japan.
Fourth, natural resources. The surrounding waters support valuable fisheries, while the island contains significant natural environments.
Finally, history. Kunashir represents one of the unresolved territorial consequences of the Second World War.
It shows that even a relatively small island can carry enormous geopolitical significance.
My Perspective: The Fascination of Forgotten Borders
I’ve always been fascinated by places where geography and politics collide.
Kaliningrad, Abkhazia, Northern Cyprus, the Korean Peninsula and the disputed territories of the Middle East all demonstrate how complicated the concept of a border can become.
Kunashir belongs on that list.
What interests me most is the extraordinary contrast.
On one side of a narrow strait lies Japan, one of the world’s most developed economies. On the other lies a remote island administered by Russia, where volcanic mountains dominate the landscape.
The countries are separated by only a few kilometres of sea, yet their political relationship remains burdened by a conflict that ended more than eight decades ago.
It is also fascinating to imagine looking across the water from Hokkaido towards an island that Japan considers its own but has not administered since 1945.
Two countries.
Two interpretations of history.
One island.
And no easy solution.
Final Thoughts: More Than a Disputed Island
Kunashir is far more than a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan.
It is an island of spectacular volcanoes, unusual biodiversity, fascinating geology and communities living at the edge of the Pacific.
Its story reminds us that geography is never just about mountains, rivers and coastlines.
It is also about history, identity, sovereignty and the people who inhabit these places.
For me, Kunashir represents exactly the kind of destination that makes the world worth exploring.
A place that most people have never heard of, yet one that reveals so much about how our world works.
Sometimes, the most interesting places on Earth are those that barely appear in the headlines.
And Kunashir is certainly one of them.
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