Japanese rally for return of islands from Russia
Japan's Prime Minister leads large rally demanding return of islands held by Russia since the end of World War II calling recent visit by Russia's president an outrage. The islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and believed to have offshore oil/natural gas reserves/gold/silver deposits. The dispute over the southern Kuril islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, has long been a sticking point in relations between the two countries and has kept them from signing a formal peace treaty ending their World War II hostilities. Japan has designated Feb. 7 as "Northern Territories Day," saying that a treaty dating back to that day in 1855 supports its claim to the islands.