Cruises from Nemuro
Nemuro - aka Nemuro-shi, Ni mu oro - is a city and port located on the Nemuro Peninsula, Hokkaido, the capital city of Nemuro Subprefecture. Originally a tiny trading post with Ainu living in the Kuril islands during the Edo period, it has developed considerably as the fishing base of Kuril area since the Meiji era. It owns many canning and freezing factories for fishes captured not only by Japanese but also Russians. The Kuril archipelago of about 30 islands begins just 40 kms away, the subject of endless disputes between Russia and Japan. Read more
They have been Russian since 1945, but Tokyo is constantly calling for the return of the southernmost four. Everywhere in Nemuro Russian visitors can see slogans in their own language, such as on the roof of the town hall: "The islands belong to Japan. Give them back!"