Why This Topic Landed in Japan

Russia again asserted ownership of the Northern Territories, and Zelensky's government presented a war-ending plan asking the US for defense support and pressure on Russia. But "confirmed as Russian by international documents" is Russia's one-sided claim; Japan's Foreign Ministry maintains that the four islands are inherent Japanese territory under Russian illegal occupation, and "Japan is being completely disrespected" is an evaluative jab, not reporting. The specifics of Israel's criticism of Japanese coverage remain unclear. A stalled territorial negotiation, fatigue over prolonged Ukraine aid, and distrust of Middle East coverage all pulled these into one frame about "the weakness of Japan's diplomacy and media."

Key Reaction Themes

  • Resignation and irritation over the territory — regret at missing past negotiating windows and cold mockery of Russia's posture.
  • Fatigue and detached analysis on Ukraine — a jaded read of both sides' political calculations and split views on Japan's role.
  • Distrust of media and diplomacy — arguments over the old media's stance and over a foreign mission naming and shaming Japanese outlets on social media.

What Japanese Netizens Are Saying

Putin's claim that the Northern Territories are "settled" Russian land

Reactions to Putin reasserting the Northern Territories as Russian.

Sources: JIJI.COM

Comments:

  • "The Senkakus, Takeshima, the Northern Territories."
  • "He probably doesn't really believe it, and the guilt makes him uneasy unless he keeps declaring it lol. Lately Putin's only chatty toward Japan, which has nothing to do with anything lololol — he really resembles a cornered Xi Jinping lol."
  • "Putin: 'Hokkaido's next, lol. Lefties, handle the propaganda ops for me, www.'"
  • "We should've taken them back when he looked ready to hand over half."
  • "Same old Russia — they only care when oil is cheap."
  • "It's the LDP's fault."
  • "And to think Abe handed him all that money..."
  • "The fact that all he can do now is bark from afar means he's already half-dead — a weakling who can't even hold the front line without begging for more North Korean soldiers after they proved useless."
  • "I think we should back Ukraine and take them back in the chaos."
  • "But there's no party with better diplomatic talent than the LDP, is there."

Zelensky's war-ending plan submitted to the US

Reactions to Zelensky submitting a ceasefire plan to the US built on strengthened defense.

Sources: Reuters

Comments:

  • "Honestly, this war wouldn't have happened if Ukraine and NATO hadn't provoked Russia."
  • "It's become a testing ground for unmanned weapons — the West benefits because it can openly battle-test against Iranian- and Chinese-made gear."
  • "They're not in NATO, so strictly speaking there's no obligation to help them."
  • "America has no money, so it's not happening."
  • "And Japan's useless... Takaichi just bounces around next to Trump."
  • "Sooner or later the East will field masses of unmanned weapons, so we have to build the strength to counter them; skimping on money now and losing is the capitalist camp's bad habit."
  • "If he wants that from the Trump administration, he'd better be ready to hand over resource rights and the like — America openly said it's giving up being the world's police, so he needs something to trade."
  • "Zelensky: 'Pearl Harbor attack!' — America's lapdogs: 'Screw you! Cut Ukraine aid!' Trump: 'Pearl Harbor attack!' — America's lapdogs: 'Classic American joke from the boss!'"

Israel's embassy criticizing Japanese media

Reactions to Israel's embassy in Tokyo naming and criticizing outlets like Mainichi and NHK.

イスラエル大使館 ｜Israel in Japan
イスラエル大使館 ｜Israel in Japan
Israel Foreign Ministry
@IsraelinJapan
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【ジャーナリズムを装ったプロパガンダ】 8月9日に毎日新聞が掲載した記事は、バランスの取れた報道とは言えません。歴史の一部のみを取り上げ、出典を明示しない統計を用い、重要な事実を省くことで、結果としてハマス側の主張をほぼそのまま再現しています。 Show more

Emmanuel Navon | エマニュエル・ナヴォン 🇮🇱
Emmanuel Navon | エマニュエル・ナヴォン 🇮🇱
Israel Foreign Ministry
@emmanuelnavon

Propaganda Masquerading as Journalism The article published by @mainichi on 9 August is not balanced reportng. Through selective history, unattributed statistics and the systematic omission of essential facts, it reproduces the Hamas narrative almost verbatim. As Israel’s new

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Comments:

  • "Honestly, hardly anyone in Japan can side with Israel... they've overdone everything..."
  • "Everyone knows the Asahi and Mainichi are nothing but propaganda — is there anyone who trusts anything in them but the date?"
  • "I agree with the criticism of Mainichi's stance, but this is a 'you're one to talk' case — you don't have an ounce of balance yourself."
  • "The old media are anti-Japan and anti-America, after all."
  • "The Japanese making noise online have a kind of 'high-schooler syndrome' — they learned about this for the first time in world history class, convinced themselves Israel = evil and Britain = evil, and now judge a complex international society as good-versus-evil from one side, thinking they understand it."
  • "Too long, I don't feel like reading it."
  • "Whichever is true, it won't matter, because it's long and I won't read it lol — I'm just not interested."
  • "Japan's old media are a nest of spies, so if you have complaints, take them to the mainland and the peninsula."