Northern Territory

Earthquake occured in Etorofu island in 'Northern Territory'. It's so misleading. Northern territory is a southernmost two islands, a part of Kuril islands. These two islands are Russian territory, but Japanese government has been claiming these two islands historically belongs to Japan. It is completely free to claim where the two islands belong to. But it is totally another actually which country rules these two islands, obviously Russians do.

Historicaly these two islands along with other two islands initialy belong to Japan in 1854. But certainly later in 1945 after the World War II in San Fransisco Peace Treaty, Japan gave up Kuril islands. These two islands were certainly Japanese territory as Japan insists, but at the same time they are one of the abandoned part of Kuril islands.