OREANDA-NEWS. Japanese MP Muneo Suzuki, who is actively engaged in dialogue with Russia and is considered an unofficial adviser to Prime Minister Abe on issues of Japanese-Russian relations, considers the statements of the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, inappropriately proposing to conduct a marathon and walking race during the Olympic Games 2020 in the southern Kuril Islands. On Wednesday, Suzuki told Japanese reporters. "Given the former inhabitants of the islands, these words are unfortunate and are not appropriate", the Japan News Agency quoted him as saying.

The Governor of Tokyo, October 17, commenting on the situation surrounding the transfer of the marathon and race walking competitions at the 2020 Olympics from the capital to the northern city of Sapporo, jokingly proposed to hold them in the "northern territories", as the southern Kuril Islands are called in Japan.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also criticized the statements of the Tokyo governor. "For the attention of the distinguished Mrs. Yuriko Koike, the governor of Tokyo, we are sure that Japan has enough of its land with a cool climate.