After departing from a port in Nemuro in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, earlier in the day, the 70-member public-private mission arrived on the island of Kunashiri by ship.

The mission will explore the possibility of joint Japanese-Russian projects on Kunashiri, as well as on Etorofu and Shikotan, two of the remaining three islands, in the fields including of tourism, health care and fisheries. It will return home on Saturday.

The Japanese government hopes the mission, headed by Eiichi Hasegawa, special adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will help deepen bilateral relations to resolve the territorial dispute and conclude a World War II peace treaty. (Jiji Press)