北方領土元島民が洋上慰霊　交流事業中断、３年連続―北海道など

　北方領土の元島民らが船に乗り、洋上から先祖を供養する「洋上慰霊」が２０日、始まった。北方墓参などの四島交流事業が中断する中、北海道や元島民らでつくる千島歯舞諸島居住者連盟などが共同実施。今年で３年連続で、９月にかけて計７回実施される。
　初日のこの日は元島民やその家族ら計約８０人が参加。午前９時半ごろ、交流船「えとぴりか」が根室港を出発し、午後１時ごろに国後島の沖合に到着すると慰霊式が行われた。それぞれが手を合わせて祈りをささげ、船上に設置された祭壇に花を供えた。
　択捉島の出身で同連盟の松本侑三理事長（８３）は追悼の言葉で、島を訪問できない現状を「誠に残念でならない」と述べ、「一日も早くお墓参りができることを願ってやみません」と訴えた。（2024/08/20-19:48）

Former Japanese residents of Russian-controlled islands held a memorial service for their ancestors on Tuesday on a ship off the islands, which Japan calls its Northern Territories.
   A total of seven such services will be held by the end of September. This is the third year in a row that the memorial project is taking place, as a program allowing former residents to visit the islands has been suspended amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
   Tuesday's memorial service at sea was attended by about 80 people, including former residents and their families. They left the Port of Nemuro in Hokkaido aboard the ship Etopirika at around 9:30 a.m. and arrived in waters off Kunashiri, one of the Japan-claimed islands, at around 1 p.m.
   Yuzo Matsumoto, 83, head of a group of former residents of the islands, said in a speech that it is "truly regrettable" that former residents cannot visit the islands under the current circumstances. "I hope that we can visit the graves of our families (on the islands) as soon as possible," said Matsumoto, who was born on Etorofu, another of the islands.
   Among the participants was Mizuki Kimura, a 21-year-old university student whose ancestors lived on the Habomais, also among the islands. "We didn't learn very much about the Northern Territories in class, but I hope to learn more because (I live in) Hokkaido," Kimura said.