北方領土、初の上空慰霊　コロナ禍で新事業―北海道

　ロシアが実効支配する北方領土の元島民らが、チャーター機で北方四島周辺を飛行し、上空から先祖を供養する「上空慰霊」が２１日、始まった。新型コロナウイルスの影響で、日ロ両政府による「ビザなし交流」などが中止となり、元島民らの意向を受け、日本側の独自事業として初めて実施した。２５日も行う。
　北海道によると、チャーター機は中標津町の中標津空港を発着点とし、知床半島から根室半島などに沿って約１時間飛行。２１日に２回、２５日は３回の計５回実施し、元島民ら計約１３０人が参加する予定。
　２１日の第１便には元島民ら約３０人が搭乗。歯舞群島多楽島出身の河田弘登志さん（８６）は「（上空で）手を合わせた。道の計画に大変感謝している」と笑顔で話した。同乗した鈴木直道知事は「元島民の声を受け止め、実際の事業に反映させていくことが重要だ」と語った。（2020/10/21-15:47）

A program for former Japanese residents of Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands to pray for their ancestors from the sky kicked off on Wednesday.
   The program, using chartered flights, came at the request of former residents and was organized by the Japanese government as its independent event while all other programs slated this year under a Japan-Russia special exchange initiative related to the islands were canceled due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. It is the first time for Japan to carry out an event independently under the bilateral initiative.
   The islands, located off the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido, were seized by the former Soviet Union from Japan at the end of World War II and have long been claimed by Japan. The islands are known as the Northern Territories in Japan,
   The first flight under the program, carrying some 30 former residents, left Nemuro Nakashibetsu Airport in the Hokkaido town of Nakashibetsu around 10:45 a.m. Wednesday (1:45 a.m. GMT). One more flight is planned on the day. Three chartered flights are slated for Sunday.
   According to the government of Hokkaido, a total of some 130 former residents will fly aboard the five flights to pray for their ancestors who were buried in the islands from the sky. Each flight will take about an hour. Normally, former residents travel to the islands and visit the graves of their ancestors there to pray for them.