Sakhalin (Karafuto) related Web Pages

Souvenir of Etsutori town in Sakhalin before WWII

Rare pictures of Etsutori town (actual Uglegorsk) located in the central Sakhalin on Japanese sea cost during Japanese epoch before WWII. You can also admire a stone landmark on the Japanese-Russian border that passed at 50th parallel.

Association of Karafuto refugees (Kabaren)

Before WWII, there were 406,000 Japanese living in Karafuto. After the takeover of Sakhalin by Soviet troops, most of the Japanese left the island excepting for Korean descents. This is the official site created by the association of Karafuto refugees (Kabaren).

Beyond the la Perouse channel

The site, created by a young Japanese architect studying the old Sakhalin architecture (Japanese as well as Russian), relates the history of Sakhalin island during Tsarist regime, especially Vladimirovka that became later the capital of Sakhalin, Toyohara, now Yuzhno Sakhalinsk. It contains also many rare pictures on Sakhalin island. La Perouse was the French explorer who sailed first as Westerner the strait of Soya, separating Sakhalin from Hokkaido.

Territorial dispute over Kuril Islands

It is the official Web Page of Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussion is concentrated over the ownership of the southern part of Kuril Islands where the Japanese government is officially claiming a return back. They affirm that the 4 islands (Kunashir, Etorof, Shikotan, Habomai) shouldn't be annexed by Russia, because the old diplomatic documents seem exclude the south Kuril from "geographic" Kuril.

Sakhalin's railroad

This small article discusses the project to construct 2 bridges between Sakhalin and the continent, and the former and Hokkaido Island. If that project will be realized, you could voyage thoroughly with train from Tokyo to London, because Tunnel of Tsugaru strait which separates Hokkaido from Honshyu, and Tunnel of Dover strait which separates England from the continent, are now both operational.

Official site of Mamiya Rinzo

This is the site patronized by Mamiya Rinzo Museum located in Ibaragi prefecture where Mamiaza is originated. By visiting the site, you can see today's photos of the region that Mamiya has explored such as village of Nivkh and strait of Mamiya (strait of Nevelskoi in Russian). Only the Japanese version is available.

Welcome to Sakhalin

This Web Page is destined to the people who wish to do a business in Sakhalin Island. There are a map and pictures of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, former Toyohara in the Japanese time and the capital of Sakhalin Island.

Russians continued to attack already surrendered Japan

On August 15, Japan accepted the declaration of Potsdam to end the war. But for Stalin, it was not enough because Russia had not sufficiently "occupied" Japanese lands. So Russians continued to attack already surrounded Japanese in Sakhalin, Kuril and Manchuria. This web page gives a detailed account on this forgotten war in Sakhalin after Japanese capitulation.

International Kuril Island Project (IKIP)

This site is not related to Sakhalin island per se but we want to list it here, because it contains so many beautiful pictures on Kuril island chain (Chishima retto).