ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Japan–Russia relations

Hey there little buddy! So, you know how different countries are like different people with different likes and dislikes? Well, Japan and Russia are two countries that don't always get along very well, but they're still trying to be friends!

A long time ago, in the early 1900s, Japan and Russia had a really big fight over some land near China called Manchuria. Japan won that fight, but Russia was pretty upset about it. Fast forward to today, and Japan and Russia still haven't completely made up about it. There are still some islands in the Pacific Ocean that both countries claim belong to them, and that's caused some tension.

But even though they don't always see eye-to-eye, both Japan and Russia are trying to be friends. They trade with each other, visit each other's countries, and try to work together on issues like climate change and nuclear weapons. They even have a special treaty called the Japan-Russia Joint Declaration that they signed in 1956, saying that they'll try their best to get along and solve their problems peacefully.

So, even though Japan and Russia have some history that isn't so great, they're still trying to be friends, and that's pretty cool!