title: Eternal Stalemate?: The Complexities of Japan-Russia Relations
abstract: The chapter provides an overview of the recent diplomatic history between Japan and Russia, with a particular focus on their territorial dispute over the Northern Territories. While there was some optimism surrounding Abe’s initiative to improve relations between the two countries to finally settle the long-standing territorial dispute, little progress was made, and the situation was further complicated by the Crimea crisis in 2014. Since then, the bilateral relationship has become increasingly 