Why does Japan not own Sakhalin?

Essentially, the Japanese claim that those southernmost islands are not really part of the Kurils, hence were not covered by the treaty. These islands represent rich fishing areas, hence have both historical and economic interest to Japan.

Why is Sakhalin Island referred to as a hardship post?

Sakhalin Island is what international oilmen might call a “hardship post.” It is on the very edge of the Russian Far East, the historic equivalent of America’s Wild West. The narrow, 600-mile-long island is populated by only half a million people, and its seasons are severe even by Russian standards.

Was Sakhalin island a part of Japan?

She spent most of her life living on Sakhalin – a 1,000km-long (600 miles) island that Japan ceded to the Soviet Union after the war. The southern half of the island was part of Japan from 1905 to 1945, a thriving outpost of the empire, and home to hundreds of thousands of Japanese.

Does Japan still want Sakhalin?

Russia has held all of the island since seizing the Japanese portion—as well as all the Kuril Islands—in the final days of World War II in 1945. Japan no longer claims any of Sakhalin, although it does still claim the southern Kuril Islands….Sakhalin.

Geography
Ethnic groups	majority Russians

Who does Sakhalin belong to?

Sakhalin is located just off Khabarovsk Krai, and is north of Hokkaido in Japan. The island houses a population of roughly 500,000, the majority of which are Russians. The indigenous peoples of the island are the Ainu, Oroks and Nivkhs, who are now found in very small numbers….Sakhalin.

Geography
Ethnic groups	majority Russians

How many people live on Sakhalin?

500,000
The island houses a population of roughly 500,000, the majority of which are Russians. The indigenous peoples of the island are the Ainu, Oroks and Nivkhs, who are now found in very small numbers….Sakhalin.

Geography
Population	489,638 (2019)
Pop. density	6/km2 (16/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	majority Russians

Does Japan still claim Sakhalin?

Japan no longer claims any of Sakhalin, although it does still claim the southern Kuril Islands. Most Ainu on Sakhalin moved to Hokkaido, 43 kilometres (27 mi) to the south across the La Pérouse Strait, when the Japanese were displaced from the island in 1949.