The fishing town of Nemuro, Japan, is caught between its dependence on Russia for trade and fishing rights and its residents' longstanding push to reclaim islands seized by Moscow in 1945. President Vladimir V. Putin's surprise visit to the disputed chain, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the southern Kuril Islands, has raised alarms among locals.

Mayor Masatoshi Ishigaki said any friction between Japan and Russia is felt immediately in Nemuro. Putin has increased military exercises nearby, called Russia's claims a "reality," and attacked Japan's sanctions. Analysts say the move pressures Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who called the visit "absolutely unacceptable." Nemuro, a town of about 22,000 on Hokkaido, has lost half its population since the 1960s, hit by Russian-imposed fishing limits and dwindling trade.