In 1951, a historic peace treaty with Japan was signed in San Francisco, marking a major turning point after World War II. On September 8, Japan and 48 Allied nations signed the Treaty of Peace with Japan, commonly known as the San Francisco Peace Treaty. On September 8, the Kremlin said that Russia will not consider Japan's request to dismantle a new World War Two memorial in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk.
On August 15, 1945, then-Emperor Hirohito's announced Japan's World War II surrender in 4½-minute prerecorded speech on national radio.
San Francisco Peace Treaty
A conference was held from September 4 to 8, 1951, at the San Francisco Opera House. The agreement sought to formally end the wartime relationship between Japan and most Allied nations and establish a new foundation for international cooperation. The treaty was significant because it prepared Japan to regain full sovereignty after years of Allied occupation. Its provisions addressed Japan’s postwar responsibilities, territorial status and relationships with other nations.
Although 49 nations signed the treaty, not every country involved in the Pacific War became a signatory. The Soviet Union, Poland and Czechoslovakia did not sign. The San Francisco Peace Treaty entered into force on April 28, 1952. On that date, Japan formally regained sovereignty and the Allied occupation ended, representing a crucial milestone in Japan’s postwar recovery.
The agreement also shaped the geopolitical landscape of postwar Asia. Japan accepted provisions concerning territories including Korea, Taiwan, the Kurile Islands and southern Sakhalin, reflecting the dramatic territorial changes that followed World War II. On the same day as the peace treaty, Japan and the United States signed a separate security treaty in San Francisco. Together, these agreements became important foundations of Japan’s postwar foreign and security policy.
Today, the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty remains an important event in modern history. It helped move Japan from wartime defeat toward sovereignty, diplomatic reintegration and a new role in the international community.
Russia-Japan World War II
Japan's foreign ministry on Saturday said it had "strongly requested" that Russia remove the new statue, which commemorates the Soviet Union's victory over Japan in 1945. The bronze statue depicts a Soviet soldier destroying a boundary post decorated with an image of a chrysanthemum.
"Such a statute is not constructive in relation to Japan. In particular, the chrysanthemum crest is widely recognised as an emblem symbolising Japan. The installation of a monument depicting its destruction is unacceptable and extremely regrettable in terms of Japanese national sentiment," Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Asked about Japan's request, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday accused Japan of having a selective memory: "It is hard to say what has been forgotten and what is still remembered in Tokyo, but at the very least, we have not forgotten Japanese militarism; we have not forgotten that victory."
He added: "In this regard we can hardly take such demands and statements into account in any way."
